


A Chance Meeting

by tauriel777



Category: Actor RPF, American Actor RPF, Lee Pace - Fandom, The Hobbit RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:29:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 89,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3589557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tauriel777/pseuds/tauriel777
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee Pace runs into some one in an elevator and it will change both their lives forever..........<br/>This will get smutty at some point, so if that is not your thing, then don't read- will warn you in the beginning of the chapters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have not written fan fiction for almost 10 years, but after discovering the glorious Lee Pace, I just couldn't help myself.
> 
> As always, I own nothing and it is all just for fun and part of my imagination!

I am looking into the most gorgeous eyes, they are saying so much without words as we hold hands and these words are spoken "do you Lee Grinner Pace take Lily Ann Simmons to be your lawfully wedded wife ......", he smiles bigger, gently moving his thumbs over my hands and a single tear rolls down his cheek. I am fighting the tears and smile back at him as my mind drifts back to about a year ago, when we first met:

I step off the plane......feels so good to finally being able to stretch my legs, it is a long flight from LA to Wellington, New Zealand.I have been summoned here to work on "The Hobbit" as the main jewelry designer, just like I worked on the LOTR several years back.

I usually work in LA out of my own design studio and as a gem and diamond buyer. With some luck and good fortune I ended up in New Zealand on LOTR's and had loved every minute of it, made lasting memories and lifelong friends. I was contacted a few months back and was so excited to be given this chance, so Skype and emails had been buzzing as we started to work together, coming up with ideas for designs, working closely with hair, makeup and costume designers. Long distance only works for so long, so here I am in Wellington to meet with everyone else and get everything ready before they start shooting.

I collect my suitcase and walk out in the fresh air, inhaling deeply before making it over to the line of cabs- they drive on the "wrong" side here and there is no way in hell I would try to drive here, both for my own and others safety. I get in the cab and tell the driver to head to the West Plaza Hotel-I will be put up in a flat in a few days, they were still working out the details, so a hotel it is until then.

We arrive quickly and after paying and thanking the driver I head into the lobby and to check in, promptly greeted by a friendly kiwi "good afternoon, how may I help you"?.

"I am here to check in, it is probably under Warner Bros.".

"What is your name, we have quite a few checking in under them today".

"I bet, I think the entire Hobbit Team is assembling, it is Lily Ann Simmons".

Staring at his screen "yes, there you are and welcome back, just need your ID and I will get your key".

I hand him my passport and he quickly checks it "thank you so much, here is your key, elevator is right over to your right, you are on the 7th floor".

"Thank you so much for your help" and make a b line for the elevator and making it in before the doors close.

I look at my fellow elevator rider and smile, saying a quiet "Hi".

The tall guy meets my eyes and smiles back, a big gorgeous smile and say "Hi" and we both reach for the buttons at the same time, our fingers touching and I'm feeling I got hit by lightning.

We both withdraw and laugh and the guy turns to me "Sorry, you go ahead, what floor are you heading too?".

I meet his eyes again "I am headed to the 7th floor".

His gaze intensifies and he lifts an eyebrow "Really, so am I. Are you in the Hobbit by chance?".

I snort "No, I wish, but not that talented I am afraid. I am working on it though" and all of a sudden a light bulb goes off in my head "Lee Pace?".

He looks surprised and smiles again, he should stop doing that "Yes, and should I know you?".

I extend my hand " Lily Ann Simmons, I am the lead jewelry designer on the movie and have already done some serious bling for Thranduil" He takes my hand, swallowing my entire hand and part of my wrist with his enormous paw, "Nice to meet you, Lily Ann and yes, that is some nice bling.......I have only seen a few drawings so far".

I want to hold on to him, but don't want him to think I am weird, so I slowly let go "Thanks and you should be able to try it on and wear it in a week or so".

We arrive on the 7th floor and he reaches for my suitcase handle "May I?".

I nod "sure, knock yourself out" and we step out, him following me "What room are you in?".

"707"

He steps ahead, not hard to do with those long legs of his "Oh, I am right next door, follow me"

I glance at him sideways "Oh, great........I hope you don't snore loudly or have wild parties at night, I like my sleep".

He laughs "No worries, I don't think I snore and no wild parties here, too busy trying to wrap my head around this crazy journey of the Hobbit".

We get to my door and I look at him "I bet, but just cherish every moment........it will be one of the greatest experiences of your life. I had the privilege of working on the LOTR's back in the day and it was amazing".

He looks at me "I am sure, would love to hear more about that sometime....I still can't believe I am actually here".

I stick my key in the door and gets it open, while still talking "Pete and the rest of the team are so great to work for and with. Have you met the rest of the cast yet?".

He follows me in, still dragging my suitcase and turns around right inside "Where do you want this? And yes, I met the dwarves a few days ago and Evangeline and Orlando yesterday, they are all great".

I throw my purse on the bed and turns to face him "Just over by the dresser and thanks so much, bell hopper".

He chuckles "I expect a large tip just so you know, but would swap it for a dinner date instead".

Our eyes meet and I smile "Are you serious, we just met".

He puts the suitcase where I asked him to and walks over, still holding my gaze "Yes, I would not ask if I didn't mean it, so dinner tomorrow, pretty please?".

He stops right in front of me, I have to look up as he is towering over me, I am just barely over 5 ft. tall "Okay, what time?".

"How about 6pm, I will just knock".

I nod and reaches for the fridge "It is hotter than hell in here, drink?".

He grabs my hand/arm "Wow......don't touch anything in there, water bottles are $6 and yes, I know Warner Bros. will pick up the tab, but it still seems like such a waste, hold on..." and he quickly walks over to the door dividing our rooms, flips the lock "I'll be right back" and he hurries out the main door.I just stand there and a minute later the dividing door swings open and Lee returns with two bottles of water and hands one to me "Here you go, I stocked up in the extra fridge I asked them to bring me".

I take it gratefully from him and flop down on the couch in the sitting corner, waving my arm for him to join me and he sits on the other end, facing me, I look at him "Thanks"and pointing to the door now open between our rooms "Should I be worried about that?".

He laughs "No, I promise I will behave and not sleepwalk or barge in".

I give him a thoughtful look, all kinds of things running thru my head "Hmm...ok, I shall hold you to it then" he smirks.

I continue " So you said you met everyone. I know Orlando from the Ring days and we have kept in touch. Awesome guy. I designed his wife's engagement ring and their wedding bands."  
Lee is about to respond when my phone starts making annoying noises from my purse, I reluctantly get up "excuse me, I better at least see who it is" and I grab it, seeing "Tami" blinking on the screen, I hold up my hand "Sorry, but I gotta answer or she will freak out". Holding the phone to my ear "Hey Girl, yes I am here safe and sound ".

Tami squalls on the other end "Awesome, why haven't you called, I was getting worried".

I smile at Lee, knowing he can hear every word, Tami is loud when she gets excited "I know, I'm sorry.......I kind of got to the hotel and uhm, got busy.....".

Lee lifts an eyebrow at me as Tami gets suspicious "With what? what aren't you telling me?".

I gesture with my hand "Nothing, just like when you failed to tell me you are seeing the king under the mountain".

Tami lets out a snort and Lee's eyes go wide " Well, you know how I feel about dating people on the set, let alone one of the stars and Richard is very private and doesn't want anyone to know. But seriously Ann, what are you hiding?".

"Nothing, I just ran into Lee Pace at the hotel and we are chatting", I glance at Lee, he is trying to be polite and pretend he is not listening to any of it.

Tami makes a funny noise "Aha........you are talking to the Elven king, I told you he was smoking hot, didn't I?".

I feel the heat rise to my cheeks, avoiding looking at Lee as I answer "Yeah, you did".

I hear knocking and Tami calling "Come in! Sorry, Peter King is here to talk makeup and hair. I will see you at the welcome party at Stone Street tonight. Can't wait to see you! Go jump Lee"

"Ha, ha, very funny! Tell Peter hi and I will see you tonight. Bye!".

I hang up and look at Lee "Sorry, that is my girl friend Tami, the one that does hair and makeup.......we met during the Ring and have remained friends since".

He smiles "I really like her, she is so nice and down to earth".

I nod "Yeah, what you see is what you get and I love that about her".

He smirks "So what is this about her seeing the king under the mountain? Is she dating Richard Armitage?".

I meet his eye and look rather serious "I will have to ask you to keep that under wraps, I got carried away and should not have said anything. They don't want anyone to know or affect their jobs".

Lee nods his head and reached over and lightly touch my arm "Don't worry, I wont say anything. I understand the whole film set, dating co workers etc, it can get complicated".

I gently reach over and touch his hand with mine and he effortless turns his palm over, his fingers softly moving around mine and I look at him "Thank you".

We just sit there in silence for a minute, his long fingers gently touching mine, it should feel awkward, but for whatever reason it doesn't.

Then there is loud banging coming from Lee's room and I hear a familiar voice "Lee, are you in there? It's Orlando, we can't find you, called your cell. Hello?".

Lee reluctantly lets my hand go, sighs and slowly get up "I left my phone in the room, be right back" and he walks towards his room "Yeah, hold on......I will be right there".

I hear the door open "Sorry man, but we are going to look at apartments and wondered if you would come along? Are you ok? We got worried" Orlando blurts out and I imagine him looking around Lee's room, looking for trouble, he worries about the people he cares about.

Lee answers "Yeah, sure and I just left my phone in here, I was talking to my new neighbor in her room next door".

I can hear the teasing in Orlando's voice "Her? Are you already flirting with someone, Lee? That sure didn't take you long" and he lets out a laugh.

Lee is coming back in my room, while talking over his shoulder "It is actually your friend, I believe....Lily Ann Simmons".

I hear quick footsteps and Orlando rushes past Lee and runs over and grabs me, yanking me up from the couch and gives me a big hug "Ann, when did you get here? Tami said you would be in today. He lets go for a minute and looks at me, kisses my cheek "it is good to see you and I see you have met my dad".

I look at Lee and he is smiling at me, but I catch a glimpse of something else in his eyes as he looks at me and Orlando still half embracing, was it jealousy, hurt? It passes in a second as I answer "Yep, I have and I told him to do a better job of keeping you in line".

Orlando laughs and lets me go "I am going to steal Lee for the afternoon, they have found some apartments and wants us to go check them out".

I face both of them "That's fine, I should probably hit the gym and the shower before the welcome party tonight, trying to beat the jet lag I am feeling right now. But I assume you will both be there?".

They both nod, Orlando waving as he walks back towards Lee's room "Shuttle will get us at 7pm, see you then".

Lee looks at me and I walk over to him, reaching for his hand, hanging at his side, I grab it and locks eyes with him "Thank you for hauling my suitcase".

He gently brings his other arm up and embraces me, bending his tall frame down and kisses me on the cheek "Anytime, Ann and I will see you tonight" and he walks to his room, carefully shutting the door between us.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is late, but I wanted to get this up.........hope you like it. Enjoy!

I hit the gym, trying to wrap my head around the happenings of the last hour or so, meeting Lee and what that all meant to both of us. I run on the tread mill, working up a good sweat and after 3 miles, slowly cooling down and seeing my phone light up with a text from "Leggy", so I get off and slowly make my way back to the room.

_So what exactly is going on with Lee and you?_

_I am not sure, why?_

_Because I have spent the last hour being interrogated by Lee about you_

_Really? Like what did he ask you about?_

_More like what did he not ask about!_

_Oh, sorry and what did you tell him?_

_Everything, like how we are almost like brother and sister and that I would kill him if he hurts you in any way......_

_Orlando! That is a little harsh and dramatic I think! I don't know what is going on, we just met and ......I don't know....besides I am older than him_

_Yep, I told him that too and that you had been thru a lot and lost the love of your life......_

_Why did you have to mention Brandon right off the bat?_

_Because he needs to know and that he better tread carefully or I will have his ass........_

_While I do appreciate you looking out for me ...I am sure you have now ruined any chance I might have had with him, poor man, he is probably scared to death......_

_Nah, he didn't seem worried about anything I told him, just very interested in hearing everything I had to say about you_

_Thanks, I think........_

_Ann, you deserve to find someone and be happy.......just be careful_

_I will and thanks_ _for scaring the living daylights out of Lee........it will be awkward tonight thanks to you......._

_He is a big boy and if he is really interested he can handle it and that is what brothers are for, right :0)_

_I guess.........see you in a bit_

 

I put my phone down and sigh....Orlando means well and I know that, but sometimes he gets a little over the top and sticks his nose where it shouldn't be. I glance at the door dividing Lee's and my room, contemplating to go knock and try to explain, but then catch a glimpse of the clock on the nightstand and decide I better hit the shower, so I wont be late for the party.

Quickly toweling off and blow drying my long dark hair, I throw on my underwear and go looking for something to wear for tonight. I like how casual everything is here in New Zealand, but at the same time feel a little under dressed since my day job requires me to wear business attire- in my case that means some sort of of skirt and top or a classy dress and the heels, it helps when you are height challenged. I unzip my suit case and find a light flower dress and some wedge sandals, dressy, but still fairly casual. I throw on some lip gloss and mascara, I am not into too much make up-I see far too many people in LA that think your face should look like the entire crayola palette and that is just not for me. I go to my carry on and find my jewelry box, unzipping it and looking for something suitable to wear. I love jewelry and I guess that is why I ended up in the profession, well, besides the fact that my father is a famous jewelry designer to the stars. I am already wearing my classy stud earrings, so I find a skinny diamond band for my right middle finger and a diamond circle necklace, simple and not too much.

I dig in my suit case, looking for my small wrist strap purse and finally find it, throwing in my debit card, phone, hotel key and a some cash, just in case. I glance one last time in the mirror on the bathroom door and then head out. No sign of Lee anywhere and I take the elevator down to the lobby and are greeted by most of the Hobbit cast, all mingling in the lobby and making quite the scene. I spot Orlando chatting it up with Evangeline Lilly and I head over and they turn to greet me.

"You must be Lily Ann, I have heard so much about you from Orlando and Tami" and Evangeline extends her hand.

"Well, don't believe everything they might have said, but it is so nice to meet you" and I shake her hand and give her a quick hug "I am so thrilled that there will be a strong female character in this movie and I was so excited when I heard they cast you, I love "lost".

"Thank you and I am just overwhelmed to be here......this is something special and to get to work with Peter and this incredible cast" she gestures around her.

"I know, it is very special and you get to work with this dork too" and I point at Orlando.

"Hey now, you be nice to your adopted brother".

"Ha, after what you did earlier today, I don't think so".

Evangeline looks at us "I am afraid to even ask.....".

"Well, Orlando thinks he needs to act as the dating police and screen every man that might be slightly interested in me".

She perks up "Oh, does it have anything to do with Lee? I saw them having a very intense conversation earlier".

"It sure does and now I am sure Lee wont even talk to me and thinks I am freaking weird".

She touches my shoulder "I doubt that.....he seems every interested in whatever Orlando was saying to him".

Orlando laughs "See, I didn't do any damage".

" We will see.....Where is he by the way?" and I scan around the room.

Orlando nods his head over in the corner "I think he is over talking to Richard Armitage, they met just a few days ago, but seem to have become fast friends. Have a lot in common and they do have a big scene together coming up".

I am about to say something and contemplate heading over there, when someone announces the buses are here to take us to Stone Street. I say hi to a few more people as we make our way out and onto the buses. I end up next to Graham McTavish and he leans over "You must be Tami's BFF........she was so excited you were coming out".

I smile "Yes, I am, it is so nice to meet you and how did you know?".

"Well, I think I know all the other pretty girls of the cast and crew, so figured it could only be you".

I blush "Thanks.......So how are you enjoying the boot camp?".

His eyes light up "It has been awesome, we have learned so much and really bonded as a group. Excited to get ready with costumes, screen tests and actually shooting".

I nod "Yep, all the craziness and fun is about to begin".

We arrive at Stone St. and all get out and are quickly guided onto the largest sound stage and I barely get in the door before someone grabs me and hugs me as she pulls me to the corner, out of the way of people "Ann!!!".

I hug Tami back, holding her tight for a minute and then looking at her "Tami! You look great and it has been too long".

"We saw each other 4 months ago in LA.......".

"I know, but this is kind of our home turf, where all this began".

"Yeah, it is.......so where is your king?".

She holds her fingers over her lips "Shhh.......".

I nod "I know and I wont tell anyone.......except Lee heard us talking earlier today".

Her eyes go wide "What?".

"Don't worry, I swore him to secrecy and I still want to meet Richard, I need to approve, you know".

I hear a deep baritone voice behind me "Approve of what?".

Turning around and Richard Armitage pulls me in for a hug "You must be Ann".

Hugging him back "It is so nice to finally meet you.......you are all I have heard about the last 2 months".

He laughs, but also looks at little concerned and I quickly add "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me".

Glancing around, making sure no one is within ear shot "Thanks, we would like to keep it that way" and he looks at Tami, his eyes saying so much. He looks at her with so much love. 

I look at both of them "Wow, I am so happy for you both" and winking at Richard "You know who to ask if you ever need a ring".

Tami looks mortified "Ann!".

Richard beams "Ok, I will keep that in mind".

"You do that, my office will be in the main building up by costumes for the next little bit".

Richard walks off to mingle, quickly grabbing Tami's hand and squeezing it before letting go, making sure nobody sees it.

I smirk at Tami "So....how serious is this thing?".

She shifts her eyes from his back to me "Pretty serious, I think......he is amazing and such gentleman".

"It doesn't bother you that he wants this secret?".

"No, not at all. It is the way it should be, nothing should distract from him playing this role and believe me, he makes up for it as soon as we are alone" , she blushes.

Teasing her "Oh....I gather he pretty much crashes at your apartment every night".

"Yep, he pretends to go to his, but then swings over, it works for us. On a different note, I got all your texts about Orlando and him talking to Lee".

I cringe and make a face "Don't remind me.....I don't even know what to tell Lee if he ever wants to speak to me again".

Tami's eyes go wide and she quickly walks past me, saying out of the corner of her mouth "Well, you better figure it out, he is heading your way".

I freeze and then feel his tall presence next to me and before I can move, his breath is in my ear and he gently whispers "Hey".

"Hey..." and I turn around to face him, but not quite looking him in the eyes.

He reaches out and lifts my chin softly with his hands "What's the matter? Are you ok?".

I reluctantly look at him, not quite sure what to find there, but is only met with love and longing "I am fine, but pretty much mortified with the conversation you had with Orlando earlier today".

"He told you about it?".

"Yeah, texted me and asked what was going on with us and I told him I had no clue and he proceeded to tell me he had told you all kinds of things".

He grabs my hand and pulls me down the hall and behind some big props "Why are you so upset about it? I asked him a hundred questions about you, because I want to know everything about you and he did answer quite a few" and he smirks "But I am sure there are more things to know".

I am trying not to cry "Because I don't want you to get the wrong idea".

"Such as?".

"That I am some spoiled brat raised in LA by my wealthy father and that I only have this job because of him or that I am desperate to find someone or......." I trail off, waving the hand he is not holding in frustration.

He can see the tears and he leans against the wall, pushing his feet out so he is lower and gently pulls me in and hugs me while talking in my ear "Why would you think I thought any of that? I don't know who your father is and I don't care if he has money or not and I never thought for a second you only had this job due to him. Orlando made a point of telling me that you have a masters in political science from UCLA and told me how smart you really are. I don't care, Ann.......I don't know what happened when we met today, all I know is that I want to get to know you".

We are so close, so I pull back a little to look at him "And what about Orlando telling you to tread carefully or he would kick your butt?".

He smiles "Well, I am bigger than him to begin with.........but I get it, I have a sister and it is a miracle she actually has a husband after the way I was checking him out, making sure he was the right one for her. After Orlando told me how close you two are I didn't take any offense. Did you ever not think of him as a brother?".

"If you mean if we have ever dated the answer is no, just never had that connection, if you know what I mean......" my voice trails of as I look into his eyes.

He moves his face closer "Yes, I do know what you mean, if you a lucky enough to meet someone and things just feels right" and he leans in, holding my chin as he closes the distance and kisses me gently.

I see a question in his eyes, he wants to make sure this is ok and I respond by kissing him back, slowly deepening the kiss and running my hands thru his hair, he moves his hands up my back, pulling me even closer and a a soft grunt escapes his lips as our hips meet and things are about to get out of hand when someone clears their throat.

We break apart, Lee looks up and I turn my head, his hands resting on my waist and we see Richard grinning at both of us "Sorry to interrupt you guys, but they are about to start dinner, we have saved you a couple of spots".

We both blush and Lee stands up straight and pads Richard shoulder " You have the worst timing, man....".

Richard sniggers "You should be thanking me, everyone started asking where you were and Tami told me last she saw you, you were heading for Ann and judging from what I just saw, it could have ended embarrassing for both of you. Hint, there is a custodial closet down the hall......" and he walks off.

Lee looks at me "well, I guess we know where to find Thorin if we ever can't find him" and then he whispers in my ear "Or we might have to try that one day".

I swallow hard and return his lustful gaze as we follow everyone else to the tables and sit down by Richard and some other dwarves. It is going to be a long dinner.............

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up..........will try to work on Chapter 3 soon. Comments are also welcome:0)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing and got carried away, sorry.........not really sorry :0)  
> This is smutty, so be warned!!!! If that is not your thing, kindly move along!

I end up next to Jed Bropfy, who I know from the Ring days and Lee sits down next to me and with Graham on his other side. Richard and some of the other dwarves are there and most of the hair and makeup people are a table over from us. Tami catches my eyes and winks, I shoot her a sly smile and she laughs. I see Richard watching her from our table, his love is evident and I catch Aidan looking at him rather thoughtful and know that they might not be as secret as they think they are.

Peter gets up to welcome everyone and then the feasting begins, buffet style and just like the Rings days, you never starve on the set of a Peter Jackson movie. Everyone is talking and visiting, I am catching up with Jed and Lee is talking very animated to Graham. All of a sudden Aidan speaks really loud to the entire table "look at Ann and Lee, they are a mirror image, both talking with their hands".

I stop talking and moving my hands "What? I can't help it, that is is just the way I am".

Lee chimes in "I can't help it either, it just happens".

Aidan shrugs "It just looks funny sitting over here".

Conversations continue as we all enjoy the food and I take a bite of my salad and nearly choke when I feel Lee's long fingers on my knee and then slowly traveling up my thigh, I glance at him, leaning over and hisses really close to his ear "What are you doing?".

He whispers back "Just continuing what we started earlier, before we got interrupted".

Thanking the stars that the tables are covered with long plastic tablecloths, I decide that two can play this game and I push his hand away and then places my hand on his thigh, slowly rubbing it and moving up, looking innocent and I continue to eat and pretend I am listening to Jed's story about something. Lee is wearing long slacks and I can feel his warm thigh under my fingers and I feel his muscles tense as I rub over his crotch and lovingly tracing my fingers around his growing arousal. I can feel the heat from his cock and he pushes himself into my hand ever so slightly and it is his turn to hiss "Stop it, Ann.....".

I trace his entire length, straining at the front of his pants one last time, getting up and saying into his ear as I excuse myself "You started it" and I walk off. The dinner is almost over, people are mostly standing up, mingling with other tables, so I dodge around people as I make it out of the big sound stage and down the hall to the rest rooms, they are all individual rooms and bigger, if case you need to change. I get in the door, taking one glance in the mirror and boy do I look flustered. I get done and after washing my hands and drying them off, trying to fix my hair, I unlock the door and get it a quarter open and then Lee pushes himself in, grabbing my hand and locks the door behind us.

"Lee, what are you do..." is all I get out before he pushes me against the door, his hands grabbing the back of my head and pulling me in for a searing kiss, he opens his mouth and I respond as our tongues are dueling, my hands going to his back, hating his sports coat, but finally finding my way under it and yanking his tshirt out from his pants, clawing at his naked back.

We break apart of a second, trying to catch our breaths and I lock eyes with him "Are you nuts? What is someone saw you come in here?".

Still holding my head in his hands, he pants "I don't give a crap right now, you touching me like that did it! Do you realize how hard it was to make my way here, praying my sports coat would hide this" and he grabs my hand and pushes it to the front of his pants. I curl my fingers around the outline of his cock and he moans into my mouth and realizing the height difference will be a challenge with me standing on the ground, he grabs my butt and lifts me up, swinging me around and plants me on the sink counter, pushing my dress up in the process. We are still devouring each other with our tongues, I open my legs, wrapping them around him, pulling him in and I whimper as my core meets his bulging arousal and I can't help but grind my hips against him.

I grab the front of his sports coat and he helps me shed it along with his t-shirt, throwing it in a pile on the counter. I look over his upper body and he is just gorgeous, his broad shoulders with the cutest freckles. I trace his shoulders with my hands, while kissing him deeply, moving my hands down his chest, touching his nipples with my fingernails and moving further down, over his abs and finally unbutton the front of his pants and undoing his zipper. 

He is busy too, unzipping the back of my dress and yanking it over my head, it joins his clothes on the counter and he moves his hands up my arms and reaching behind, quickly undoing my bra and throwing it in the pile. He grabs my breast with both hands, kneading them and then dipping his head down, sucking each nipples to the peak. I arch my back and moan "Ohh, Lee".

I shove his pants and underwear down in one smooth motion and grab his hard cock with my hand, gripping his shaft and pumping a few times, wrapping my fingertips around the head and spreading the fluid leaking from the tip. He presses into my hand and lets out a growl when I touch the head "oh, fuck".

Lee practically yanks my panties from underneath me and I almost forget how to breathe when I feel his long fingers between my wet folds, his thump rubbing my clit "Please Lee" and he carefully pushes two fingers inside me and moves them in and out while still keeping his thump on my sensitive nub. He is panting in my ear "You are so fucking hot, I am going to make you come" and he crooks his fingers inside of me and that does it, I shudder as my orgasm hits and I convulse around him. He keeps moving them, letting me ride it out and maximizing my pleasure.

I grab his head and we meet in another searing kiss and I look at him "That was mind blowing".

He grins at me and his eyes are dark with arousal and his cock is straining at my entrance, I open my hips a little more, urging him on "I want you inside of me right now".

Something is holding him back and I can feel his frustration"I don't have any condoms on me, they are back at the hotel. I honestly wasn't planning on this to happen like this and tonight. I can be careful but......".

I grab his cock and guides him to my entrance "It's ok, I am on the pill and have been for years. I want all of you, right now, don't hold back".

He looks at me to make sure, but I wrap my legs around him and urges him on and we both moan as he enters me to the hilt and he starts to move, hard and fast.

He clenches his teeth "Fuck, you feel so good, I am not going to last".

I try not to scream from the pure pleasure of having him buried deep with in me and I moan in his ear "Harder Lee, fuck me".

He grabs my butt, changing the angle and reaches between us with his other hand, applying pressure to my clit while sucking on my breasts. It doesn't take long and I bite his shoulder and moans as my second orgasm hits and he thrusts a few more times and lets out a grunt as he comes hard, emptying everything his has got inside me.

I wrap my arms around his sweaty shoulders, letting him ride it out and he leans his forehead against mine and our lips meet in a soft kiss.

He smiles "That was fucking amazing, Ann".

I gently bite his lower lip 'I know, it was one of those holy wow moments".

We stay like this for a few minutes, but then slowly try to pull apart. Lee grabs some paper towels trying to clean up a bit and i just sit on the counter, trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Lee carefully wipes the inside of my thighs and underneath me, I look at him lazily and we embrace once more and he whispers sweetly in my ear "I want you to know I don't normally do this and ...".

I kiss him to get him to be quiet and our eyes meet "Don't you dare apologize for any of it. It was amazing and I wanted it as much as you did".

He kisses me back "Good, just wanted to make sure and now we have to figure out how to get out of here without causing a scene".

I giggle "Well, that is your problem, you are the one that came in here".

"I guess we should apply clothes first".

We slowly sort thru the pile of clothes, getting dressed and I glance in the mirror, trying to make my hair look descent and I catch him looking at me in the reflection. He gives me the biggest smile, comes up behind me and wraps his long arms around me. He lovingly kisses the top of my head and then nuzzles my ear and down my neck "You are so gorgeous, Ann.......I could get use to this, to us......".

I grab his hands with mine, turning slightly to kiss his lips "Me too, Lee. I wish we were back at the hotel so we could snuggle up and get some sleep".

He lets go and walks to the door, slowly opening it and peaking out. He is relieved to see someone is walking away from the area and another door just locked. He shoots me one last look "I think that can be arranged, but I don't know about the sleeping part. It is way overrated from what I hear". He winks and walks out the door, giving me a few seconds to try to collect myself before following suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos, it keeps me writing!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More smut.....so be warned!

I take a deep breath and head back to the sound stage and is grabbed by Tami as soon as I get back in "Where did you go?".

"Just to the ladies room".

She looks at me "Yeah, sure you did and then I saw Lee follow you and he just came this way a minute ago and he looked mighty happy. What is going on?".

I give her a sly smile, it is hard to try to lie to your best friend "I don't know.....".

She knows me too well and puts her hand over her mouth "No, you guys didn't, did you? Ann!".

I can feel my cheeks burning "What? I don't know what you are talking about".

She smirks "Well, from the look on Lee's face and what you look like right now, I would say that you guys were mighty naughty in there".

I turn another shade redder "I am not going to dignify that with a response".

"Whatever you say.......but we need to talk about it. Just be careful, I don't want you to get hurt".

I roll my eyes "I know.....now you sound like Orlando".

"I know, I know, but just want to protect you".

We watch as people are slowly leaving and I look back at Tami "Well, I better catch the shuttle back, but I will see you tomorrow. I am going to go make sure my office is all set up and then have a meeting with you and everyone else tomorrow afternoon. Go home to your dwarf king, I am sure he expects dessert".

Tami slaps my shoulder "Ann!", but then it is her turn to blush a little "Yeah, he probably does. I will see you tomorrow, maybe we can meet for lunch".

We hug quickly and I walk out, seeing Lee is waiting for me and we board the shuttle. He gives me a knowing smile and we sit down together, it is mostly filled with Warner Bros. people, so nobody is paying us much attention. I lean back and yawn very unladylike and he looks at me "It is hitting now, isn't it, the jet lag?".

Leaning my head against his shoulder and yawning again "Yeah, like a ton of bricks. That is usually how it is, I am ok for a while and then all of a sudden.....boom.....I could sleep right here, right now".

He kisses my hair and grabs my hand, whispering into my ear "Don't fall asleep yet, let me at least get us into one of our beds and then we can sleep. I promise I will behave and just snuggle".

I lift an eyebrow at him and talks quietly back to him "Yeah sure you will".

He looks at me with his best puppy eyes "I promise, just let me sleep next to you".

"Ok, I guess" and I can't help it, leaning in and giving him a soft kiss.

We get to the hotel and follow most everyone else to the elevator, arriving quickly on the 7th floor. Several "Goodnight" and "See you tomorrow" are heard and people make their way to their rooms. Lee follows me and softly says "See you in a minute" before opening his door.

I unlock my room and throw the wrist purse on the desk, kicking off my sandals and hurrying over to my open suit case on the floor, trying to find my sleeping top. I grab it, unzips my dress and take it off along with my bra. I throw on my top and wanders to the bathroom, quickly removing my mascara, scrubbing my face and applying some night cream. I throw my toothbrush in my mouth and walk back in my room, getting my phone out and checking messages and emails. There is a knock on the dividing door and Lee walks in, toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, phone in hand and wearing nothing but his gray boxer brief, that leaves almost nothing to the imagination. We lock eyes and I am trying not to burst out laughing. I run to the bathroom before I spit toothpaste everywhere and I yell back in the room "Nice, Lee".

He comes into view, using the other sink to rinse and looks at me "I should say the same for you. And how to you expect me to sleep when you are wearing that?" He points to my silk spaghetti strap, cream colored top with lace around the edges.

Reaching over, I grab the front of his bulging boxers, wrapping my fingers around his shaft and rubbing him hard thru the fabric. He bucks his hips and pushes into my hand, grabbing the counter with his hands, his breathing becoming louder and he grits his teeth "Oh fuck".

I push him around, so his back is against the counter and move his boxers off with my hands, freeing his impressive erection and I use my fingers to caress the swollen head and bend down and slowly licks him, tracing the underside and then closing my lips around him. He is trying not to buck and throws his head back and moans loudly when I suck on the tip and make sure to lick the slit as drops of precum starts appearing.

His strong arms reaches down and moves me up, forcefully grabbing the back of my head and brings me in for a searing kiss, his tongue opening my mouth and devouring me. I wrap my arms around him and run my hands up and down his back.

I break for a second "I was enjoying myself, what are you doing?".

He kisses me deeply again "You can't have all the fun" and grabbing my hand, he drags me into the room and to the bed.

He pushes me gently down and then lays down besides me "I think someone is overdressed" and he slides his hand all the way down my body, down my leg and then deductively up my thigh, hooking a finger around my panties and sliding them off. He moves back up and slides his hand between my legs, finding my soaking wet folds and teasingly rubs my swollen nub. I roll over and arch my back in pure pleasure, bucking my hips against his hand, trying to get more friction. He teases me a little more before removing his hand and using both his hands to slide my top off my body and over my head, his mouth following suit, tracing wet kisses over my stomach, stopping to suck on each of my breasts, swirling his tongue around each nipple before our lips meet in another deep kiss as he covers my body with his. I wrap by arms around him, letting my hands move over his broad shoulders and down his biceps, he is leaning a little on his elbows, trying not to crush me with his weight. He feels so good and I slightly open my hips to let his length rest against my folds and I push my hips up, trying to urge him closer.

"Lee, please" I croak and capture his his lips in yet another kiss.

He nips at my lower lip " Patience, Ann and I am going to make you scream my name" and he slides down my body and then pushes my hips apart. He glances up at me before he dips down and attacks my folds and clit with his mouth. I loose all ability to think clearly and just give in to the pleasure, grabbing at his hair and arching my back. I think it can't get any better, but I am clearly wrong when I feel his long fingers entering me and he starts to move them, stroking my walls and still moving his mouth over my clit. I am a mess at this point and when he goes faster and applies a little more pressure with his tongue, I see stars as my whole body shudders with a mind blowing orgasm and I scream his name "Oh Lee!"

I am slowly coming back to reality as he slides back up and I attack his lips and reaching down, taking a firm hold of his cock and guiding him in, sighing as I feel him fill me up. He is moaning into my ear as he enters me "Fuck you are so tight" and he starts to move.

My hands go to his ass and I am sure leaving marks as I grab him firmly, wanting him as deep as possible and I lock eyes with him "You feel so good, Lee, fuck me harder" and he does as he is told, thrusting his hips hard. We are united like I don't remember ever being united with anyone before. We are both moaning is pure lust and pleasure and it doesn't take long before I feel his entire body tense up, he thrust hard and comes with a grunt, I feel him pulsing within me. 

He collapses on top of me, I wrap my hands tightly around his shoulders and he nuzzles my ear "Holy fuck, that was incredible".

I smile and look at him "I guess after that performance, I forgive you for not keeping your promise of just sleeping next to me".

Our noses are touching and he looks at me with so much love "I hope so and I will now make good on my promise" and he kisses me again.

We stay like this for a few minutes and I feel the sleepiness returning and he rolls to the side, moving his weight from me and props up on one elbow, why lazily tracing his other hand over my stomach "When do you need to be in tomorrow".

"Sometime in the morning. I need to make sure my office is set up and the IT people have it all wired up and then I have a meeting with hair, costume and makeup before we meet with Pete and you guys, the elves, in the afternoon. What about you?.

He thinks for a minute "I have boot camp in the morning, trying to learn how to move like an elf and then some sword training. I meet with Pete, Orlando and Evangeline after than and we meet with you guys".

"How are you getting there? I was planning on the shuttle at 8 am".

"I have a car, I got one as soon as I got here....I like being able to go when I need to".

I move, so I am facing him "Good for you, but there is no way I am driving while here, scares me to death. I made Orlando drive me around during the Ring days or Tami".

"We can go in together at 8, I'll take you and remember we still have a dinner date tomorrow night".

I smile as I trace my hand over his chest "That would be great and I know we do".

Stifling a yawn, I roll back on my back and he is pulling me close for another hug and soft kiss "We better get some sleep then" and he reaches down to grab the sheet and comforter to cover us. I stay on my back, but reach for his hand and he snuggles up to me, laying on his side and draping his other arm over my body.

Turning my head, I look at him and whispers "Thank you, Lee. You are incredible" and he kisses my forehead and lips, whispering back "So are you, Ann. Sweet dreams, babe" and we drift off to sleep.

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 

I slowly wake up.....laying on my side and feeling a warm body next to me, spooning me from behind and one, long, strong arm draped over my midsection. Memories of yesterdays events come flooding back and I snuggle into him and sighs. It has been a long time since I felt this happy and content and I wish we could stay here all day, but reality is we both have stuff we need to do today. I glance at the clock and then slowly roll over, finally facing a gorgeous, naked Lee, still sound asleep. His breathing is even and deep and he looks very content. He really is a sight to behold and I smile when I look at his face and realize his hair is a complete mess and sticking up everywhere. I wrap my arm around him and place a soft kiss on his lips, he stirs and his hand slides up my back and he grabs me and pulls me on top of him. Our lips meet in a tender kiss and he smiles "Good morning, sweetie".

"Morning. Did you sleep good?" and I lay my head on his chest, feeling his fingers playing with my hair.

He kisses the top of my head "Hmm...yeah, I did and glad it doesn't feel awkward to wake up here with you. I have a few of those mornings in my past and it was even after I dated them for a while".

I roll my eyes and look at him "Yeah, I had a few of those too, but this just feels right and it was very special last night".

He cubs my head with his hands and kisses me deeply "I know".

We break the kiss and I glance at the clock "Lee, it is almost 8 am....we need to get going".

He rolls us over and he pins me beneath him, pressing his hard cock into my leg "And what about this".

I nipple on his ear "Well, it will have to wait or go take a cold shower".

"Or we could shower together".

I giggle "Yeah right, I don't trust you and I think it says in your contract that you can't participate in any dangerous/hazardous activities. I think shower sex would fall under that category. I don't want to have to explain to Pete, Fran and Philippa or the press that the Elven King can't film because he cracked his head open or broke a leg because he slipped in the shower while trying to get lucky with his new girl friend".

Lee laughs "Yeah, that would be very embarrassing. And does that mean I am your new boy friend?".

"I sure hope so.......".

He kisses me "I wouldn't have it any other way".

Fighting the urge to stay like this forever, we finally untangle ourselves and he gives me a hand to help me get out of bed. He is standing there, in all his naked glory, but I have to remind myself we need to get to work. He grabs his phone and gives me a quick kiss "I better go shower in my room, so you don't distract me".

I swat his naked butt "Yeah right, you are the one that is distracting " and I head to the shower.

It is a quick shower and after toweling off, I walk to my suit case, grabbing and putting on my clothes, thanking the gods for the relaxed way here in Middle Earth. I towel my hair once more and making my way back to the bathroom, hanging the towel up and running a brush thru my hair before clipping it up in the back with a big, sparkling hair clip, I like my bling after all. No makeup today, just my Rolex watch (a gift from my father when I graduated with my masters), my diamond stud earrings, that I hardly ever take off and a thin diamond band on my middle right finger. I am wearing capri jeans and a simple white t-shirt.

I go retrieve my phone from the nightstand and checks messages and there is one blinking from "Tami".

_Check out what Mr. Pace tweeted a minute ago.......uhm, if I am not mistaken, that is the corner of your cell phone cover on the nightstand. So he either slept in your bed or you in his?._

A picture is attached and I scroll down, finding a selfie of Lee, with his hair sticking straight up and with the wording "Good Morning from New Zealand". He is sitting on the bed and you can just see his face and a tiny bit of his shoulder, the headboard of the bed behind him and there, in the very corner is a blingy edge of a cell phone.

I laugh and walks towards his room "Nice picture on twitter this morning".

He turns around from the dresser as he pulls a v neck t-shirt over his head "Yeah, you could have told me I looked like a dork. I was checking my emails as I was going to go back here and saw my reflection".

"I was too busy looking at your...never mind, but just so you know, Tami texted me already and spotted my cell phone on the nightstand behind you".

He smirks as he grabs his phone to look at it "Nahh, only she would know that, besides, I don't really care who knows" and he comes over and plants a kiss on my lips "You look gorgeous. Shall we go?".

"Yeah, let me grab my laptop bag".

Lee follows me in my room and takes the bag from me, once I get it from the desk and we head out the door and as we get to the elevator it dawns on me "What about breakfast?".

He checks his phone "We don't have much time or I would take you out, so lets grab Starbucks from here and something to munch on, we can eat at the canteen once we get there".

I nod "Sounds fine with me".

Coffee in hand along with a couple of muffins we get in Lee's rental and head towards Stone Street.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing is a funny thing.......doesn't always go the way you planned it. No smut in this chapter, but it will return in Chapter 6

We pull into Stone Street and find a place to park. Lee gets out and as I exit the car, points towards the trailers "Can you follow me over to mine, I want to give you a key?"

"Sure" and we make our way over the parking lot, he reaches for my hand and we walk, holding hands to his trailer.

He hurries and unlocks it, opens the door and reaches inside and hands me a key "Here, in case you ever feel like visiting or need a nap or a quickie" he smirks.

I playfully hits his arm and then pulls him in for a hug and whispers in his ear "We don't need to come out here for that, there is the custodial closet on the sound stage or a wall in my office" and I kiss him quickly and walk off, calling over my shoulder "See you in a bit" and head towards the office building, leaving him standing there.

Lee shakes his head and laughs before turning around and heading in the trailer to grab a few things. He sits down on the couch to check his phone and there is a message from "LilSis" blinking:

_Hey BB how is NZ? I saw your tweet this morning-nice hair!!_

_HI Sis, it is great, love it and the people I have met. I couldn't resist when I saw my hair_

_If I didn't know better, it looked like my BB had spent the night rolling around in the sheets........_

_No comment......._

_Lee!!! What did you do?_

_I shouldn't even tell you this, but I kind of met someone and I don't know......never felt like this_

_WHAT? You haven't even been there 2 weeks, I hope you know what you are doing._ _I know you are a grown man, but don't rush anything.....no offense, but the last few have not been "winners". Stunningly gorgeous yes and probably great in bed, but ......_

_I know, I know.......they didn't fit in with the family...._

_LMAO......understatement, Lee.......Mom and Dad hated them and only put up with having them around because they want you to be happy. And remember how Carl would growl at them, especially the last one....._

_Don't remind me. Just don't say anything to Mom and Dad yet, I don't know what is happening, but she is............I don't know_

_Is she in the movie, how old, where is she from?_

_No, not in the movie, but working on it, she is a jewelry designer and worked on the LOTR's. She is older than me and she was raised in LA_

_And older woman, well BB, maybe that is what you need, someone that is not so dependent on you and is actually mature for a change_

_Maybe..... I will keep you posted. How is Carl doing?_

_Please do and sent me a picture when you can. He is good, but misses you_

_I miss him too, but should be back for a little while in 2 months_

_We all miss you and can's wait until you come back home_

_Crap, I need to got to sword training. Good talking to you, give Carl a hug. Love you!_

_Love you too!_

He grabs his back pack and heads out the door.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

I am sitting in my small office trying to organize everything. Computer is up and I am pulling up images and printing as I go, making sure they are in order, ready for our meeting in a bit. I wish emails would answer themselves sometimes, but no such luck, so I scan thru and answer the most pressing ones-we have a diamond buying trip coming up in a month in Antwerp, Netherlands, so trying to gather a list of what we need to purchase. We keep quite an inventory, but there are always special requests etc. that need to be handled and some of my fathers clients are looking for something very specific. My dad sent a couple of sketches of rings over for me to look over and give my input. He is a great designer in his own right, but we very often collaborate on projects. His name is on it all in the end and that is just fine with me, I like being in the background, designing and buying and let him handle the other side. I turn my attention back to the designs for the movie and look them over again, many were already sent over here before I got here, so today we will go over the fine details and more input with costume, hair and make up people as well as with Pete, Fran, Philippa and the elves.

We end the first meeting, just with the costume, makeup and hair people and Tami lingers behind "So....want to give me the scoop, what happened last night?".

I grab a chair and plops down and she does the same, shutting the conference room door first. I take a deep breath and look at her "I don't know.....I met Lee and I feel like I have known him my entire life. Yes, he is hotter than hell, but it is more than a physical thing.......I don't know, it just feels so right and it terrifies me".

She takes a sip of her water "So did you sleep in his bed?".

I try not to blush, we have been friends for so long and share everything, but it still makes me a little red "No, he slept in mine and yes, we did more than sleep".

A sly grin spreads across her face "I knew it! So where does it go from here, you already did the deed....".

"We will see, haven't talked much about it yet, but I think we both feel this is something else. He is taking me to dinner tonight, he asked me out right after we met in the elevator yesterday, before we ......uhm......well you know".

Tami lifts an eyebrow at me, but then gets a worried look on her face as she glances at her watch "Ann, we need to get going....we are due for a meeting with the elves and Pete in 3 min. in the big conference room. How about we chat more over lunch in your office?".

I grab all my papers and my iPad and follow her out the door "Sure, we can get lunch in the canteen and bring it up".

It is a quick walk to the conference room, just down the stairs and around the corner, I could walk this building blind folded. People are filing in, hugs and greetings are exchanged. Lee is standing in the hall, sort of waiting and he greets us and quickly bends down and plants a soft kiss on my cheek "Hey" before walking in the room with the rest of us.

Tami turns around and looks at me, mouthing a silent "Awww".

We are all seated around a big conference table, snacks are placed in the middle, the way Pete likes it. He is sitting on the end and behind him is a big board. Costume, makeup and hair people are all here and then me along with Richard Taylor from Weta, since he will be in on swords, knives and other props that will need to be matched to jewelry, hair and costumes. Orlando, Evangeline and Lee are on the other side, next to Pete and I am sitting in the middle across from them. Drawings of full costumes are put up on the board along with fabric swatches and Peter Swords King comes with input about hair and Tami add make up ideas. Everyone has ideas, it is a very creative process which I just love. Pete, Fran and Philippa have the final say and lots of notes are taken. 

Lee looks at me every now and then, sending me sweet smiles, which I try to return without blushing. We get around to discuss Lee's costume and details and I listen with deep interest as he comes with input, he has spent a lot of time trying to get in Thranduil's head and what kind of person he is. Peter King suggests a hair and makeup test in the next few days and then Richard pulls out the prints of what Thranduil's crown will look like and it is spectacular and is approved right away. 

It is finally my turn and I walk up to the board and put my drawings and digital images of Thranduil's rings up along with a few suggestions for the circlet we have talked about him wearing for the final battle, that is a ways away, but everything has to be planned out and we need to make sure all his stuff will go together and tell his story. 

They all love what I have come up with, but Pete gets up and points to one image "Can you make that look more like soft branches? It has too many sharp edges, it would be great if there is more of a contrast with the other big rings, they are pokey with their 'branches' sticking out, so something softer would be great"

I grab the marker and start drawing on the board, quickly sketching a ring that looks like intertwined branches or the "skeleton" of a leaf "More like this?".

"Yeah, yeah....that looks great. Fran, Philippa?". 

They both nod and Philippa goes on "Yes, that is beautiful, it will go with the fine fabrics Thranduil will be wearing. How soon can we have them in hand?".

"I was planning on running to the jeweler this afternoon as soon as you had given the go and he can have a wax casting for me in a couple of days. Once I approve those, he can have them made in 3-4 days, so hopefully in a week".

"That would be fantastic, then we can have a show and tell in a week for the mighty Elf King".

Pete nods "Lee?".

"They are all great, can't wait to try it all on and get more into character. The clothes are gorgeous, the crown sure makes a statement and those rings, wow".

I glance at my notes "By the way, we need to fit you for the rings? What size do you wear on your ring finger?".

He looks at me a little bewildered "I have no idea".

I walk over to him, looking at his hands, trying not to think about all the wonderful things those hands have done to me the last 24 hours. "My guess is a US size 11. Orlando, do you mind?".

Orlando knows what I want and slides his wedding ring off "Sure, but if it gets stuck, you will be in trouble".

Lee looks uncomfortable as Orlando hands him the ring "uhh, you don't mind?".

"No, not at all, she does that all the time. I am her personal ring sizer when we are together", earning a snort from me and a few laughs from those closest to us.

He takes the platinum band and slides it on his ring finger or to his knuckle anyway "I don't think it will fit".

I reach for his hand "Let me feel it" and I hold his wrist as I feel with my other hand "Yep, 11 should fit....this is a 10 1/4. Swing by my office sometime after lunch and we can fit you properly with the ring sizer".

Lee grins "Okay, I think I can manage that".

I reluctantly let go of his hand, but as he slides away, he wraps his fingers around my mine, caressing them and locking eyes with me. Luckily most people have been quietly talking among themselves, sensing the meeting is coming to an end, but I catch Orlando's eyes as I hand him the ring back and he lifts an eyebrow, I just smile at him.

Pete turns to us all "Thank you very much everyone, we appreciate all your work and maybe we can actually get to shoot a movie in a few weeks" and the meeting is over. Everyone is leaving, headed back to their creative spaces.

Orlando turns to Tami "Care to join us for lunch?".

Tami grabs her stuff "Nahh, Ann and I are going to chat over lunch in her office, catching up on girl stuff".

"Hmm....maybe I need to get the scoop from you later. Something is going on with them? and he nods towards Lee and I.

"I won't tell you even if there is, but we both know it is about time she finds happiness with someone".

"I know, I just don't know.....they just met".

"Well, only time will tell....see you later".

"Bye, Tami".

As soon as the meeting is over, I walk over to gather my things and quickly says to Tami "Meet you in the canteen in 10 min." and she nods as I move around towards the door.

I feel someone gently wrapping their hand around my arm and pulls me to the side "Hey, want to go to lunch?".

"I would love too, Lee, but I promised Tami we would eat in my office and catch up".

He looks at me with puppy dog eyes "That's fine, I guess......as long as we still have a dinner date".

"Oh, we do and Lee...."  I lean in close as he bends down, whispering in his ear "You still have to come to my office this afternoon to get fitted for rings".

He turns his head, touching my cheek with his lips and quickly whispers back "Maybe we need to see how that wall of yours will hold up" and he walks out the door.

Smiling to myself, I stand there for a minute, before shaking my head, trying to clear my thoughts and Philippa walks by, gently touching my arm "If it is what I think it is, he is one lucky guy. Better keep him, he is one of the good ones".

I look her in the eyes "Thanks, Philippa" and I walk back to my office.

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The canteen is full of people, sitting in groups around tables, chatting away with old or new found friends. Lee finds himself at a table with Richard, Aidan, Dean, Jed, Graham and a couple of others. Dean just got here earlier in the day, having replaced another actor and he is trying to catch up. Him and Aidan have just clicked and Aidan is in the process of telling him about all the hot girls on the set and Dean is scanning the room while listening "Wow....what about those two?".

Aidan looks over and sees Tami and I enter the room "That is Tami, she is in charge of prosthetics and make up, she is a doll. I tried to ask her out, but she blew me off, might have to try again".

Lee is listening and catches Richard with a funny look on his face, their eyes meet for a second and Richard coughs and takes another bite of his sandwich.

Aidan goes on "I don't really know her friend, but they are BFF's and she sure is a knock out! Jed, you sat next to her yesterday and I saw you talking to her, what is the scoop man?".

Jed shakes his head "Do you need to try to get in every pretty girl's pants, Aidan?".

Aidan gives a cheeky grin" Well, they are both hot! Even Richard thinks they are, at least Tami".

Richard looks up "Why would you say that?".

"Because I caught you just drooling over her last night at dinner, You had that look on your face, like you wanted some of that".

"I did not! Yes, I think she is a pretty girl and very good at was she does. There are a lot of pretty women on the set just as you are in the process of pointing out to Dean".

Aidan turns to Jed again "And you were saying?".

"Her name is Ann, she worked on the LOTR's and she is very nice and down to earth. She is smart and a very talented jewelry designer. Grew up in LA and her dad is loaded. Anything else you want to know?".

"Loaded huh? And is she single?".

Jed gets a serious look on his face and looks at Aidan "You would never know her dad is loaded. She is kind and generous, like her father. I don't know if she is single now. I know she was engaged sometime after the Ring days and he was killed, it was very sad. Her fiance was one of Orlando's best friends".

Lee has his full attention on the conversation while watching us get our food. He is jolted out of his thoughts when Aidan nudges his arm "Lee, you talked to her yesterday. What is she like, does she seem like good dating material?".

Lee catches the amused look in Richard's eyes and is fumbling for words "Uhmm, I don't know, she seemed very nice.....I didn't talk to her that much".

"I saw you whispering something in her ear".

"It was nothing, it was just hard to hear with everyone talking on the sound stage".

Dean is staring our way " Either of them would be a catch, maybe we can ask them to join us for lunch?".

Richard is zoning out for a second, staring at Tami and blurts out, without thinking "They are eating in Ann's office".

The entire table stops everything they are doing and look at Richard, who quickly realizes his mistake and Lee is trying not to laugh out loud.

Graham pipes up first " And how the hell would you know that?".

" uhm....I ran into Tami earlier today and she told me how excited she was that Ann was finally here".

Apparently that satisfies everyone and they are about to carry on, when Jed's voice gets everyone's attention "What the hell is he doing here?".

Everyone looks in our direction and see a shorter guy approach us.

.............................................................................................................

Tami and I are almost done getting food and as we are about to turn around, we both freeze as we hear a familiar voice "Tami, Ann long time no see!".

We shoot each other a look before facing the guy "Hi Rob, how are you?".

"Fine, Tami and you?".

"Good".

"Ann, you look stunning. What have you been up to? I see your dad's ads all the time".

"Not much, just working in the family business and stuff".

"Can I take you to dinner or something? Haven't seen you forever and I would still like to date you".

I put on my nicest face, quickly glancing over at Lee's table and realizing they are all watching us "I'm flattered Rob, but right now is not a good time......I just got here yesterday and still have jet lag and a lot of work to get done".

He says rather condescending "Yeah, I forgot, you actually do work on these movies, but maybe next week or something".

Tami steps in "And what the hell is that suppose to mean. Leave her alone!" and she drags me off and out of the room.

......................................................................................................................

Lee's radar goes on alert and he turns on Jed "Who is that guy?".

Jed is such a down to earth guy and pretty much likes everyone, but says with much loathing in his voice "That is Rob, he is son of one of the big wig's in Warner Bros. and he came during the Ring days and was suppose to work and help, but pretty much did nothing but drive us all nuts. Since his dad is a big wig, everyone was too afraid to say anything, but that was before the LOTR's were successful. I am surprised he is here, nobody could stand him back then and he sure was trying to get Ann's attention. She was smart even back then and kindly refused his advances. They both came from money, but while Ann is very humble about it, he is the total opposite and acts like a complete arse"

They can't hear what is said, but they all see the body language and the entire table goes "ohhh!" when Tami hauls me away and leaves Rob standing there. 

Dean looks a little concerned "Wow, I wouldn't want to get on Tami's bad side. That girl is feisty".

Richard and Lee exchange looks, but doesn't say anything about it, but then Lee turns to Jed "Do we need to be concerned for Ann? I mean, is the dude dangerous?".

"I don't think so, a pain in the butt yes and annoying, but I think harmless".

Aidan looks at Lee "Why are you so worried about it? Do you have a thing for her?".

Richard can tell Lee is getting way too uncomfortable with where this conversation is going and feel the need to say something "I think we are just all concerned for the pretty ladies here and want to be gentlemen, so let it go Aidan"

Aidan shrugs and they quickly start talking about something else, while Lee sends Richard a grateful smile.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning! Enjoy!

Tami and I wrap up our lunch visit, catching up on everything and talking about our current happenings........

"So you said you thought it was pretty serious with Richard....so how serious, like marriage serious?".

She eats the last bite of her cookie "I don't know, maybe....probably......I love him so much".

"Oh my gosh, Tami, that is wonderful, I am just so happy for you and if it comes to that, it would be so great. But we need to get you a ring first, so if he asks me, what would you like?".

"If it does come to that, he better ask you......it would be weird getting a ring that wasn't made by you".

"I am flattered, but seriously what direction should I point him?".

"Probably some sort of band, low profile and not huge. I am from here, not Beverly Hills you know".

I laugh "I know and I get it. I don't even want a huge rock if I ever again.......".

"Speaking of which, Lee seems so sweet to you, I saw how he kept looking at you today. He has it bad!".

"He is wonderful, but it terrifies me how much I already like him and......".

_KNOCK KNOCK_

We both look at the door and I yell out "Who is it?".

King Thranduil's voice booms from the other side of the door "It's the Mighty Elf King, I have come to be properly fitted for my new glorious rings".

"Door is open My King!".

He opens the door, but stops when he sees Tami "Oh, I can come back later".

Tami is already up and throwing our plates away, clearing the desk "No, I am leaving.....I need to go stick some hair and beards on the dwarves in a minute".

She hugs me "Call me later" and pats Lee's arm "See you, Lee.....be good to her" and walks out, closing the door behind her.

Lee throws his back pack on the floor and reaches over and turns the lock on the door. He walks over and gathers me in his arms, lifting me up and kissing me properly "I have wanted to do this to you all day. Do you realize how hard it was to sit in that meeting with you and act like a professional?".

He puts me down, but grabs my hand and drags me to the couch in the corner, sitting down and pulling me into his lap. I wrap my arms around him and pulls him in for another kiss, and gently suck on his lower lip. We break and look into each others eyes and I smile at him "I know, Lee, but that is why you are a great actor, right?".

"Nice, I think you are mocking me".

"No, not at all and I am glad you stopped by".

He looks around "Nice little office".

"I like it, it is my tiny corner of the world. Yes, it is small, but it allows me to still do my other job and have some privacy. I think they tried to make up for the small space by putting in a bathroom, sort of a trade off".

Lifting an eyebrow "Is there a shower in there?".

"Lee! And no, there is no shower......and remember I am not participating in that since it could possible end deeply embarrassing for both of us".

"Well, I guess I will have to try and talk you into participating in something else then" and he slides his hands under my shirt, up my back and moving one hand to the front, playing with one breast thru my bra and attaching my mouth with his, pushing his wet tongue inside and swirling it around, before licking my lips

I shift in his lap, moving around so my knees are on either side of his waist and I am straddling him, our mouths still locked, and tongues fighting for the upper hand. I grind my hips into him and throws my head back as I feel his rock hard cock pressing into my center, feeling wetness pool between my legs and I moan in his ear "Oh Lee.....".

He responds by grinding his hips back and I hear his breathing speed up and he reaches up and gently removes my hair clip, making sure not to pull and puts it on the side table by the lamp and runs his fingers thru my long locks. He quickly removes my shirt, pulling it by the hem over my head and unclasps my bra and carelessly tosses it somewhere. Dipping his head between my breasts, he licks the soft skin before cupping each with his hands, being both forceful and gentle at once and bringing each nipple to his mouth, I grab his hair in sheer bliss. He sucks on each until my nipples are peaked and he mumbles "damn you are beautiful, Ann".

I move my hands to his sides, taking a firm grip on his t-shirt and yanking it off "You are over dressed" and we meet in a searing kiss and moan as we finally makes skin to skin contact, our chests crashing together as I do my best to dry hump him.

He grabs onto my hips and force me down on his hardness and I can't stand it anymore, I need more. Sliding back I make quick work of his front button and zipper and he is desperately trying to get my pants off, but it not happening. I reluctantly stand up, kicking my sandals off and removing the offending pants, throwing them on the desk. Lee jumps up as soon as I leave his lap, stepping out of his flip flops and pulling his jeans off, leaving them on the floor.

We face each other in nothing but our underwear and his boxer briefs leaves nothing to the imagination, he cock straining against the fabric, a wet spot forming on the front where his swollen head is. I can resist, sliding his underwear off, freeing his arousal and I bend down, sticking my tongue out and touching his very tip, tasting him and tracing the ridge around the head. I move my hand up and carefully rolls his balls and then opening my mouth more and taking more of him in, sucking on his head and shaft. I continue to suck on him, while guiding him to the nearest wall and his back arches against it while he let a few curse words escape, along with some moans "Fuck, Ann.....that feels so damn good".

I pop off of him "Shhh....I do have neighbors" and then continue my mouth assault on him, licking his length and applying pressure to the underside of his head. He is trying not to buck his hips and I can feel him getting even harder, knowing he is close, but before he gets there, he gently pulls away "No, I want to come in you" and catches me by surprise by hooking his strong arms under mine and lifts me up. I quickly wrap my legs around him, feeling his cock against my soaking wet underwear and he walks over to my office chair and puts me down in it and kneels in front of me, we look in each others eyes, both seeing the same lust, arousal and love reflecting back. He seductively slides his hands up my legs and thighs, leaning in to lick my nipples before kissing me up my neck and whispering in my ear "My turn and I think we need to get rid of those" and he slides my panties off, throwing them somewhere behind him. He scoots me towards him and coaxes my thighs apart, putting one of my legs over his shoulder. He drips down and attacks my mound with his mouth, licking and sucking on my clit.

It is my turn to come apart, I throw my head back and buck my hips into him, wanting even more. He continues his assault and I whimper as he pulls his head away "Please don't stop, Lee" and I catch his eyes, dark with lust and I feel 2 of his fingers slide inside me, slowly moving in and out, caressing my slick walls and he uses his thumb to stimulate my clit. I am sure I look like a complete mess and he place kisses up my body and I grab at his hair and moan loudly "Oh god Lee, faster!".

He moves his mouth to my ear "I wish you could see how fucking hot you look right now, all worked up, all wet and hot for me! Come for me, babe" and he speeds up his fingers and applies just the right pressure with his thumb.

My lids are closed and my head thrown back and I come undone, feeling the orgasm hit me and clenching around his fingers. He seals my mouth with his, stopping me from crying out from the pure, orgasmic pleasure and he continues to moves his fingers, drawing it out as long as possible.

I slowly come out of the fog, opening my eyes and finding Lee with the biggest grin on his face and he gently brushes a strand of hair from my face and leaning in to kiss me again and I grab both sides of his face "Holy shit, Lee, that was........"

He kisses me back "I know, probably the hottest thing I have ever seen and now it is my turn and I apologize in advance, this will be quick".

I know exactly what he wants and get up with him, reaching out and caressing his painful erection, he is so hard and I can't wait to have him in me. He moves us over the nearest wall and puts me against it, we lock eyes and he grabs under my arms "Ready?".

He lifts me up against the wall and I quickly wrap my legs around him, taking hold of his cock and guides him to my wet folds. He slides home and we both moan as he starts to thrusts into me. I have my arms wraps tightly around his shoulders, feeling every muscle and he has one arm on my lower back, his hand supporting my butt and the other wrapped around my upper torso and he starts pounding into me, he breath ragged and he moans in my shoulder "Fuck, Ann...I am going to come". I feel his entire body tense up and then he is coming hard, biting down on my shoulder and lets out a grunt "oh god!" as he rides it out with a few more thrusts. He is drenched in sweat, his hair stuck to his forehead and he is breathing hard. 

We meet in a searing kiss and smile. He is still holding me against the wall, but I know he can't do it much longer and he puts both hands under my butt and take the few steps over to the couch and plops down with me still wrapped around him "Shit, that was amazing".

We are still very much connected and I lovingly brush a few strands of  hair away from his face and kissing him softly "You can say that again, but how do we get out of this without making at mess? This couch is not mine".

"I know", he looks around and reaches for his t-shirt that is still resting on the back of the couch "Well, this will have to do, I got my gym clothes in my bag pack" and I slowly separate myself from him and he is trying to wipe up the mess "Good enough".

I survey the room and just burst out laughing and so does he, our clothes are scattered all over the room. He playfully yanks me back down in his lap "Well, let's hope nobody knocks in the next few minutes".

We kiss again and lock eyes and he gives me a serious look, caressing my cheek with his hand "I think I am falling in love".

I look back at him, playing with the hair at the back of his neck "So am I, Lee and it scares me".

"Why?".

"Because it seems to be happening so fast and you know what happened last time I was deeply in love with someone......I know Orlando told you".

He nods " I know bits and pieces of the story, but I would love to hear the whole thing".

Glancing at the clock on the wall "Can we talk about it over dinner? I hate to break the mood here, but I still need to sketch that ring and run all the sketches to the jeweler today".

He kisses me again "Sure, do you mind if I just hang out? I am done for today and I can drive you to the jeweler?"

"That is a deal, but please put on some clothes, if you stay naked on the couch I will never get anything done"

He smiles as I get up and give him a hand "Okay, I guess" and we get dressed and he goes to splash some water on his face. He pulls a gym shirt out of his back pack and stuff the dirty t-shirt in a bag. He takes his script out and flops back on the couch and I get to work on the sketch at my desk, quickly drawing up something, scanning it in the pc and producing a 3D image of the ring. I glance over at him and catches him looking at me, he grins happily before returning to his script and it just feels so normal. Just the two of us in the same room, enjoying each others company.

My cell goes off and I see "Dad" blinking on the screen, so I pick it up "Hi dad, how are you?".

I listen and then respond "I'm good....yeah welcome dinner was excellent, met a lot of old and new friends", Lee wiggle his eyebrow at me and smirks, I try not to laugh and continue "Your other daughter, Tami says hi and we might be doing a ring for her soon".

"Yeah, things are going really well with Richard, but we will see and now remember, she is Kiwi, not a Beverly Hills girl, so her ring needs to reflect that. But anyway, besides checking in with your favorite daughter, what can I help you with, you are still in the office I can see".

"Okay, sent me the specs on the diamond and I will have a look......hold on, checking for mail......got it, printing now".

I grab the piece of paper from the printer and is studying it, chewing of the end of my pen in concentration "Wow, that is gorgeous, the table angle is just right and holy crap, the light performance is perfect. It is a keeper, but I don't think I had to tell you that. I think you just called to check up on me".

"I love you too, Dad and will call you tomorrow. I am emailing you the Antwerp diamond list either tonight or tomorrow, so take a look and see what you think".

"Take care, bye!".

I hang up and look at Lee "My Dad".

"I figured that much".

"So care to tell me who he is?"

I tell him and Lee makes a funny face "Why are you making that face? Heard something bad about him?".

He gets up and put up his hands up in defense "No, no...don't worry. I winced because I very well know who he is, what fabulous engagement rings he makes and how expensive they are", he grabs the chair on the other side of my desk and sits down, running his hand thru his hair and looking at little uncomfortable "Uhm, a while back, I had a girl friend that really wanted to get married and she bugged me about it forever and she really wanted a ring from him. I sort of looked into it, but about fainted when I saw what they could cost me.......I was just starting out, a struggling actor you know".

"It's okay, Lee and I know, his rings are not for everyone, but he does make some that doesn't require you to take out a second mortgage on your house. So what happened with the girl friend?".

He shrugs "It fell apart, I guess.....I wasn't ready to commit like that and she was needy, didn't understand that I have to go where there was a job. Back then it was because I really needed any acting job I could get and now, it is because I love what I do and I do need to pay a bill now and then".

I laugh "I know......when you are on the road a lot, it is hard to keep a relationship unless both parties understand that".

"Sounds like you are talking from experience....?".

"Sort of.....I have had a few relationships after Brandon, but they all fizzled out because they couldn't understand that I love what I do, designing jewelry and my passion is buying gemstones and diamonds. Didn't understand why I would work when I technically didn't have to".

"I know nothing about jewelry, gemstones or diamonds other than they can cost you more than a car, but I saw you today, talking about your designs in front of Pete and I have no doubt you love it. And you were so cute just now, when you were looking at the paper your dad sent, so concentrated" and he reaches across the desk and reaches my hands and leans in for a kiss.

I kiss him back, slowly opening my mouth to his assault and when we break I glance at the clock "We better get going or we wont be ready for dinner".

He steals one more kiss before getting up and I quickly put all the papers I need for the jeweler in a folder and tossing something at Lee "This is really why you had to come in here today, try those rings on your ring and index finger and tell me what numbers they say" and I scribble them down as he reads them off to me.

Putting the ring sizer back on my desk, he comes over and wraps his arms around me from behind, as I am trying to shut my computer down, he kisses my neck and talks in my ear "No, the real reason I had to come in here was to test that wall of yours, the ring sizing was just an excuse".

I grab his hands and snuggle into him for a second before breaking free and we head out of my office.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little smut in the middle, so be warned! Enjoy!

We are back at the hotel after visiting the jeweler and dropping off the images. 

I unlock my door and Lee follows me in as I talk over my shoulder "Where are you taking me tonight? Is there a dress code?".

"Some Italian place, Orlando told me you loved. Or we could stay in bed and make love all evening?" and he pulls me over to the bed, sits down and drags me onto his lap and kisses me hard.

Putting my hands on either side of his face, I return the kiss with force until we both have to come up for air "Nice try Mr. Pace......but that restaurant is really good and we can always come home for dessert".

"I guess we should go and I am kind of hungry. So since you have been there, causal or formal?".

"Kind of in between, so casual suit or come as you are since this is NZ".

He makes a move to get up "I guess I better change then, jeans and a gym top probably wont cut it". He plants one more kiss on my lips before walking to his own room.

I walk to my suit case and unzips the top compartment, taking out my only formal dress I brought, a nude colored little number with black lace overlay. I dig for my nude heels and quickly change into the dress and step in to the heels. I run to the bathroom to check my reflection, brushing my hair and applying some lip gloss. I remove my classic diamond studs and look in my jewelry case, finding the chandelier earrings that my dad designed and gave to me the day I graduated as a gemologist from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America)  many years ago. When you wear earrings like that, you don't need any other accessories. Satisfied with my look, I grab my wrist purse and throw in the essentials and head towards Lee's room calling his name "Lee, are you ready?".

He comes out of the bathroom "Yeah, let me just........." and he stops in his tracks, staring.

"Uhm, what's the matter, is it that bad, I can change".

Snapping out of it "No, don't you dare! It is just stunning, Ann" and he comes over and gathers me into his arms and kisses me softly.

I look at him, wearing a navy blue suit and a lighter blue unbuttoned shirt, it is clearly tailored and hugs him in all the right places. He looks like some greek statue "You look pretty good yourself, Lee".

We head to the elevator and I catch our reflection in the steel door, we look like some sort of power couple, heading out to do some serious business. Stepping out in the lobby, Lee reaches for my hand and as we walk past the bar, a familiar voice calls out "Well, look who is all dressed up for a hot date". We both stop and turn towards the voice and Orlando comes walking out. He kisses my cheek "You look absolutely beautiful" and he pats Lee's shoulder "Hey man, you are one lucky bloke".

Lee puts his arm around me "I know".

I nod towards the bar "Catching up with old friends?.

"Yeah, just some old crew members from the Ring days. By the way, Rob is sitting in there with his friend, so get out of here before he sees this" gesturing at us.

We are about to leave, but Lee reaches in his pocket and gets his phone out "Orlando, do you mind? I promised my sister to sent her a picture".

"Sure" and he quickly snaps one before heading back in "Enjoy your night guys and behave!" and he leaves us with his familiar laugh.

Walking out, I catch a glimpse of Rob and I can tell we have been spotted "Well, too late, I guess........Rob saw us".

Lee glances his way and shrugs "Whatever......You are free to date whoever you want to date".

"Well, I think I am just interested in one guy".

"I would hope so" and we get to the car.

Once inside I turn to him "Did you already tell your sister about us?".

"She kind of caught me, texted me after the hair picture on twitter this morning and guessed what I had been up to?".

"And?".

"And that was it, she said it looked like I had spent the night in the sheets and I told her I met someone and she freaked a little......she was not too fond of some of my exes......"

"Because?".

He gestures with his one hand, while driving with the other "Well, I don't really want to talk about it, I am a little mortified to be honest.....they just weren't right, didn't fit with my family. We are very close and it was always so hard when I would go visit. The awkward silence, me trying to make her happy and also please my folks...and now I am rambling, so please make me stop".

"So what makes you think this will be different? That is, if I ever get to meet your family, if we make it that far?".

He throws me a sideways glance and reaches for my hand "Are you doubting this? You better not be, because I am not. I told my sister I didn't know what was going on, but it felt different and I probably shouldn't say this while driving, but I can honestly say I have never felt like this before in my life".

I squeeze his hand "You are fine, Lee and no I am not doubting this. I am just a little scared because I feel the way I feel about you already. One thing I learned after Brandon died is that life is short and you have to live every moment, because you might not get that chance again".

We pull up to the restaurant, it is overlooking the ocean and Lee turns off the car and towards me "So care to tell me about Brandon and what happened?"

We are still holding hands and I look into his eyes "Ok, but I might cry a little. Brandon was one of Orlando's best friends, they met after the Ring days when Orlando was trying to buy a house in LA, Brandon sold real estate. They bonded right away and hung out a lot and then Orlando set us up on a blind date and the rest is history. We dated, he was amazing, kind, loving and fun, plus he let me be who I was and pursue the things I wanted to do. He proposed 6 months later and he was killed by a drunk driver a month after that. It was 6 years ago. I have moved on, gone on with my life and dated other people, but it never felt right.....until now......".

Lee rubs my hand "I'm so sorry, Ann!" and he reaches over and hugs me "I don't even know how you move on after that".

I am trying not to cry "Well, you just do, one day at a time and my dad helped a lot. What Orlando might not have told you is that my mom passed away when I was 17, she had cancer. So my dad knows what it is like to have lost someone you love and he knew what to say and not to say. Life is precious and we have to live every day to the fullest".

A tear rolls down my cheek and Lee gently wipes it with his thumb and he lovingly pulls me really close, our noses are almost touching "Hey, please don't cry and I am so sorry!" and he capture my lips in a tender kiss. 

I close my eyes and try to convey my feelings for him in that kiss. I wipe another tear "And now that I have ruined our date, should we go eat".

"Hey don't say that and you didn't ruin it at all, I am thankful you shared that with me and yes, we should go eat, I could eat a cow".

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

We are sitting in the corner of the restaurant, with a gorgeous view of the ocean and we eat and talk thru the entire meal. I am amazed at how easy it is to talk to Lee and the more we talk, the more I fall in love with him. He tells me about his family and I can tell how much he loves them and how his parents now live on a small farm in Texas where he goes when he has a break. They are close just like my dad and I. He tells me about his dog,Carl and how his sister takes care of him when he can't take him with him on a job "It was too hard trying to get him to New Zealand and the flight is so long. He is a great dog and I miss him".

"I would love to meet him"

Lee gets a funny look on his face and kind of winces "Well, I hope he will like you......he better. Just like my family, he wasn't fond of my choice of girlfriends, he growled at them......it was bad, he had to stay in the garage at my folks, I don't think he has forgiven me yet".

I laugh "Well, you know what they say about animals, they are usually really good readers of character".

He rolls his eyes and takes another bite of his steak "I know".

"So does your parents have animals on the farm?"

"Just their dog and some horses, it is more like a hobby kind of a thing".

"Do you ride?"

"I know how, but I am not awesome at it. My parents ride just for fun"

"I have been riding for as long as I can remember and wish I had the time to have a horse. I just borrow my friend's when I am in town".

He smiles "Oh my dad will love you".

Swirling my pasta around my fork "I hope so........it is always a little awkward the meeting parents thing".

Lee nods "I know, but they will love you, I promise! They are coming in a month to visit me, we should be filming by then".

I get a sad look on my face "Maybe I wont get to meet them, I am flying to Antwerp to buy diamonds, remember".

"That's right, when will you be back?"

"I should be back on the 12th, I will only be gone for a week".

"They get here on the 10th and will be here for a week, so you will get to see them".

"I would love to, they sound like such great people. You will have to come to LA and meet my dad sometime, he is not crazy about flying, so he wont come visit here".

"That is too bad".

I finish the last bite of my pasta "I know, but I wont be here for months on end. I will be in and out until designs are finished and then my job is done".

He looks at me with seriousness "Can you hang around, work from here?".

"Probably, but I don't want to bother you or get in the way."

He reaches across the table and grabs my hand "You would never be a bother and I would like to have you around, see where this takes us".

"Lets see how things go, if I pass meeting your parents test and if we are still dating when that time comes. I know it feels like we have known each other forever, but remember we just met".

He rubs my hand softly "I know, Ann and I am not trying to scare you and yes, it does feel like we have known each other forever and that is not a bad thing".

We just sit here for a few, in silence, but it doesn't feel awkward at all.....just two souls, that might have finally found each other.

The waiter discreetly approaches "Can I take your plates?"

Lee looks at me before answering "Sure and can I have the check please" and as soon as the waiter is out of ear shot, he smirks at me "We can have dessert at the hotel".

"Ohh really?".

"Yep".

The waiter returns, but instead of a check, he brings two glasses of champagne, a big piece of white chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and a note "Someone wanted you to have this" and he leaves.

I reach for the note and sees familiar handwriting, if you want to call it that, more like scribbles on it:

_Dear Ann and Lee,_

_Sorry for being such a worry wart about you two. Lee, I saw how you looked_

_at her today during the meeting and if that is any indication, all I can say is_

_Wow! Enjoy your dinner!_

_Orlando_

_PS: you better invite me to the wedding!_

We both laugh and I wipe a tear "Awww, that was so sweet of him. He just wants me to be happy".

"And I will do my best to make sure you are" and he reaches over and kisses me softly.

We eat cake and we raise our glasses to toast, I look at Lee "To whatever the future might hold".

He locks eyes with me "To the future and to us, Ann".

.................................................................................................................................................................................

I am currently looking down at the most gorgeous man, Lee, naked beneath me and I am trying to keep my eyes open, wanting to watch him as he is buried deep within me and I am slowly moving up and down his hard cock. His hands are on my hips and he is guiding my movements, but I am really the one in control right now. I am bracing my hands on his broad chest as I ride him and I throw my head back in pure ecstasy and moan "ohh god, Lee, you feel so good".

He is grits is teeth as I start moving faster, grinding my hips against his, trying to get the right friction and he reaches one hand between us, finding my swollen clit and starts applying pressure with his thumb "That's it, babe.....you look incredible, come for me".

I feel the familiar sensation in my pelvic region, the tension building and my movements become more frantic until I break, feeling the orgasm taking over and I convulse around him and I ride it out, moaning his name "Lee!".

I open my eyes and sees him grinning at me "Was that good?".

Lowering myself, hugging him and giving him a searing kiss "That would be an understatement". I feel every inch of him, still buried in me and how hard he is "But someone else is not done".

"I know, babe" and he braces himself as he sits up, me still straddling him and I wrap my legs around his butt and we are chest to chest and meet in a deep kiss, tongues roaming and I gently bite his lower lip and he runs his hands up my sides and to my breasts, cupping each with his hands and lowers his mouth to suck on each nipple.

This feels so close and intimate, it is more than the physical act of sex, it feels deeper than that and we both know it.

I wiggle my pelvis and he moves his hands down and takes a firm hold on either side of my hips, starting to move me up and down. He is panting and he speeds up his thrusting along with sliding me up and down and reaches down, grabbing my butt, slamming me down one last time and he comes hard, letting out a grunt "Ohh, fuck yeah!" as he pulses in me.

I put my head in the crook of his neck and  hug him tightly and he lovingly slides both hands up my naked back and hugs me back. Our breathing is slowly returning to normal and we share a soft kiss and he touches my nose with his and smiles "That cake was good, but I think this dessert was better".

"Hmm....I know" and I lazily nuzzle his ear and let my fingers roam over his back, enjoying the feel of his naked skin under my fingers. We stay like this for a while before slowly separating and laying down, he spoons me from behind, wrapping his arm around me and holding my hand, he yawns and nuzzle my my ear "Goodnight, Ann".

I close my eyes and let out a content sigh "Goodnight, Lee, sweet dreams" and we drift off to sleep.

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

A couple of days later:

I am sitting in my office looking at the wax castings the jeweler sent over, carefully looking at them from every angle, writing notes of corrections on the papers that came along with them. That is the great thing about the waxes, it gives you a true 3D model of the ring or whatever you cast, but you need to be careful, they are rather delicate.

_Knock Knock_

"Come in"

The door swings open and Tami walks in with a beautiful bouquet of deep velvety red roses"Special delivery! I just caught the guy asking for your office down at the reception and I told him I would be happy to take them up. Sure wonder who sent them" she says teasingly.

I get out of my chair and take the vase from her, putting them on the corner of my desk and reaching for the card attached "They are beautiful and ha,ha, I think we both know you sent them".

She smirks "Yep, the Mighty King of Mirkwood sure has it bad".

I look at the card and smile:

_Just because_

_~Lee_

"Aww, he is so cute!".

"Well, we will see how cute he looks in a little bit. We are doing a full makeup, hair and elf ear test today, so I need to get going, just wanted to drop those by. See you later".

"Later Tami and tell him hi" and she heads out the door.

I get done checking the wax castings and carefully placing them back in the box they came in. I get out my sketch pad and starts drawing ideas for new engagement ring designs. It is something I love to do and it kind of clears my mind and allows me to just be creative for a while.

................................................................................................................................................................

Lee enters the makeup trailer, coffee in hand and greets Tami "Hey there".

"Hey yourself and nice flowers you sent her this morning".

He grins "How do you know that?".

"Because I delivered them from the driver. You love her already, don't you?".

He sighs and takes a sip of coffee "Yeah, I guess you can say that. She is beautiful, smart and so easy to talk to".

Tami nods "Funny thing is, she says the same about you. I hope it turns into something wonderful for you both".

"Me too".

The door opens and Orlando strolls in "Morning".

"Morning Leggy".

Lee turns to face him "Morning and thanks so much for dinner the other night, that was very sweet of you".

Orlando touches Lee's shoulder before plopping down in the chair next to him "Your welcome man, how was it? How are things going?".

Tami is working on pinning down Lee's hair to get ready for the wig "Well, Leggy....I think the Elven King is in love".

Orlando sits back and another makeup person starts working on him "I saw them leaving to go out and I would be in love too, Ann looked stunning".

Lee smiles wide "I know".

They all chat as Peter King comes in and they get the wigs on and making sure they look right and then move on to applying elf ears. 

Tami is putting one on Lee and someone else is working on Orlando when Tami's phone goes off, she looks at it and sees it blinking "RA" and she reaches for it "Sorry, he never calls me during the day". She answers "Richard, is everything ok?" 

Listening "Uhu....when, now? Ok, be careful. Lee and Leggy are here, I will let them know".

She hangs up and looks at them both "That was Richard, he is across the lot on the sound stage and just heard Rob asking someone where Ann's office is and they told him! He is heading after him".

Lee and Orlando look at each other and jump out of their chairs, Lee calling to Tami as they rush out the door "Be right back".

Tami is still holding the other elf ear and calls after them "You are only wearing one ear".

.....................................................................................................................................................

At the same time:

I have been working for a while on one sketch and doesn't pay much attention when someone knocks on my door "It's open".

Looking up, the door swings open and Rob walks in, closing it behind him "So this is where you are hiding?"

I get out of my chair "Rob, what are you doing here?"

He walks closer "Well, I wanted to come talk to you. I saw you the other night going out with Lee Pace and you had told me earlier you were too tired to go out, so what the hell is the deal?".

"Look Rob, it really is none of your business who I go out with. Yes, I had a date with Lee and that was in place before you even asked".

"So can we go out? As I said, I would really like to date you" and he comes really close, only my desk is separating us.

"No, I don't think that is a good idea....I am kind of seeing Lee".

"Oh really, are those flowers from him too?" pointing at the roses, "Did he sent those for fucking him after dinner?".

I feel my blood pressure rise and I walk around my desk, pointing my finger at him "You know what, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE, ROB!!!".

He grabs my hand "I don't think so....." but before he can do anything else, my door busts open and Richard, Lee and Orlando rush in!

Lee covers the distance in record speed, pushing himself between Rob and I, sneering in Rob's face "Get your hand off of her!".

Orlando claps his hand around Rob's wrist and yanks him towards the door "Okay, let's go for a little walk" as Richard takes a firm hold on Rob's shoulders and helps steer him out. 

I stand there kind of stunned and Lee wraps me in his arms "Are you okay, babe? Did he hurt you?".

Richard closes the door and I snap out of it, looking up at Lee and then back at Richard "No, no, I was just telling him to get the hell out and he didn't like that".

Lee kisses the top of my head, not quite ready to let go "Yeah, we sure heard the yelling" he chuckles.

The door swings back open and Tami and Orlando walk in, Tami rushes over "What happened, are you okay?".

"I'm totally fine, he is just a jealous ass*@#*".

Orlando nods his head "Yep, he sure is, but I doubt he will be a bother anymore. I reminded him how bad it would look if he got kicked off the set. He likes his dad's money, so I think he will behave".

I all of a sudden laugh as I look at Orlando and then up at Lee "Nice hair, you guys and I like the one elf ear you are both are wearing, very stylish".

We all have a good laugh and since it is just us in the room, Richard walks over and stands behind Tami, hugging her from behind and whispers in her ear "Hey, didn't expect to see you here".

She turns around and kisses him softly "I had to follow after Orlando and Lee made a run for it".

Richard looks at them "You should have seen yourself in the parking lot, I was running across and you both came bolting out the trailer, hair flowing, it was awesome".

Lee laughs, but then turns serious "Well, we didn't know what he might do".

Tami makes a move towards the door "I think he got the hint. So why don't we go back to the makeup trailer and finish the ears?".

Orlando heads for the door " Sounds good! It makes me kind of sick being in here with all you love birds" and he leaves giggling.

Tami heads for the door, but Richard pulls her in for one more kiss "See you tonight, darling" and they both wave to us.

Giving Lee a knowing look, she points to her watch "5 min. Mr. Pace......so no time for hanky panky!".

We smile at her as she closes the door and Lee sits down in my office chair, pulling me into his lap. I try not to get anything tangled in his long, blond wig-I know they cost a fortune and Tami would kill me if something happened to it. He cups my head with his hands and kisses me, looking in my eyes "Are you sure you are ok?".

"I am fine, Lee. He didn't do anything" and we kiss some more before we break for air "You better get your ass over there".

He kisses me again "I know" and we slowly get up. 

Lee looks at my desk and sees the sketches I have been working on "What are those? They are incredible".

"Just some new ideas for engagement rings. I like to play around" and I point to one "I imagined this is what Thranduil's wife's ring would look like if she was alive today".

He looks at the drawing of a very intricate ring, it has a round diamond in the center and a heart shaped red stone on either side, they are held by a very fine network of branches coming up from the shank of the ring. The shank itself is engraved, mimicking patterns I have seen in the sword Thranduil will be carrying. Lee points to the red stones "What are those".

"Rubies, my favorite gemstone because really fine quality stones are pretty rare these days".

"I know nothing about rings, but that is just stunning. If you don't mind me asking, did you design the ring Brandon gave you, if he gave you one?"

"He actually proposed with a simple solitaire holding the diamond that use to belong to my mother. My dad gave it to her and it is a stunning 1.5 carat stone, completely flawless, colorless, which is rare for a diamond and cut to ideal proportions. He gave it to Brandon to give to me when he asked my dad for my hand in marriage. I was in the process of designing something when he was killed. The diamond sits in the vault now, it means at lot to me".

"I am sure it does and I never knew diamonds were so complicated, I thought a diamond is just a diamond".

I shake my head "Oh no, far from it, they are very complicated and you need to understand them to buy a good one. My pet peeve is all the places that sell diamonds to people without really educating them in what they are buying".

He pulls me in for another hug and kisses me "Well, I know who to talk to if I ever need to buy one". He leans against my desk and pulls me in between his legs and looks at me rather serious "Ann, I don't want to scare you and I know it is way to soon to say this, but....." and he pauses, gently touching my face with his hand "I love you! I have never felt like this about anyone before".

I look back into his eyes, putting my arms around him and smile "I love you too, Lee! I don't know where this will go, but it just feels right".

We kiss one more time and he walks out the door.

Closing it behind him, I plop down on the couch and just let out my breath "Holy wow".

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in the beginning, so be warned!

A month later:

I am sitting in a taxi, heading from the airport to Stone St. and as we pass familiar places I think back on the whirlwind month this has been. I arrived here very much single and left very much in a relationship. Lee and I have shared an apartment the last 3 weeks, technically I am staying with Tami, but since Richard is there, Lee and I have taken over his apartment and it has gone really well. It was hard to leave as it always is, but I had to fly to Antwerp, Holland to buy diamonds and now I am back after a little less than a week. I actually caught an earlier flight, not suppose to arrive until tomorrow, but I miss Lee and just wanted to come back sooner rather than later. His parents arrived yesterday and I have spoken to him at least once a day all week, but I know he is busy with them, so didn't tell him. I am anxious to meet his parents, but also nervous as hell, hoping maybe I can put it off until tomorrow.

We get to Stone St. and I pay the driver and flash my badge at the gate. I walk towards the trailers, hauling my carry on and get to Lee's, I knock, but figure he is either shooting or getting ready to. I unlock it and reach down to get my carry on and someone calls out "Ann?".

I look up and Richard is coming out of his trailer in full Throrin gear and heads towards me "Hey Thorin, how are you?".

"Good, I thought you were coming back tomorrow?"

"I was, but caught an earlier flight".

He grins "Does Lee know you are back? He sure has been rather depressed with you gone, but his folks got here yesterday. They are very nice people, you will like them".

Shaking my head "No, he doesn't know, I didn't want to bother him since they just got here. How is Tami?".

"Lee will be thrilled". He gets a goofy look on his face when I mention her name "She is good, we are good.......never thought it would turn out like this".

"I know, New Zealand is a magical place and this movie sure has changed us all. So ready for that ring yet? I am not trying to put pressure on you and Tami hasn't said anything".

"I don't know, I would marry her tomorrow......but don't want to freak her or her folks out by asking too soon".

"Well, you know her parents and they are so great and they love her and want her to be happy. I think the only hard thing is that you guys would eventually move back to England or maybe even the States, they would miss her".

He nods "I know and would Tami be ok with that, will she be happy?".

"Richard, we both know Tami can work anywhere, she is talented enough and she would be happy because she is with you, the person she wants to be with. She was there for me when Brandon died and we both learned a life lesson, that you have to follow your passion and you might not get a second change. Life is precious".

He looks at me "You know, maybe that is what makes you two different from most.......you don't freak out when we leave socks on the floor or the toothpaste with the cap off or dishes in the sink. You let it go, there are more important things in life, like building a relationship, supporting each other, loving each other and really value your friends and family. Lee and I talked about it one day............".

I raise an eyebrow " You talked about Tami and me? And Richard, I know you don't do any of that stuff anyway, Tami says you are really neat. Lee on the other hand......" and I gesture in the trailer.

He laughs "Yeah, well she is kind of right and yes, we did talk about you two, we are dating best friends and we are friends so......".

"And we are glad you guys are friends and I guess we talk about you too".

Richard lifts an eyebrow "Oh yeah, like what?".

"Like how we can't quite believe this is happening, how lucky we are and if this is it, you know.....".

"So Tami thinks this is it?".

"I shouldn't even have this conversation with you, but yes, she is very much hoping".

"Well, maybe I need to go have a chat with her father then and come talk to you".

I smile at him "Yes, you should do that! You know where to find me! Lee and I are still so new, so who knows....".

"Well, judging from the way he talks about you and looks when your name comes up, he is very much in love and he was kind of sulking the entire time you were gone".

"You are starting to shoot, so soon he will be too busy to sulk anymore".

"You know, maybe it is not the annoying stuff we do and you guys don't sweat that makes the difference, but the fact that Tami and you let us go do our jobs, supporting us without making us feel like we need to worry about you guys or cater to you".

I shrug "I don't know, but we both get it, you guys love what you do and it is very important to you".

He looks at his watch "Speaking of which, I am due on the sound stage in 5 min., we are rehearsing so we can hopefully shoot later today. It was good to see you and talk to you".

"Good to see you too, Richard. I'll see you later"

I head in the trailer, putting my purse on the table. Looking around I kind of have to chuckle.....Lee is not neat and organized and never will be: scripts are on the table and on the couch, clothes thrown at random places and coffee mugs in the sink. I shake my head as I pick up the clothes and puts it in the hamper. I look at the bed and just inhale, the room smells like Lee and I have missed that so much. I have missed everything that is so uniquely him: his smile, his laugh, the way he always talks with his hands like I do, the way he lays next to me, his warm body against me, the way he looks and sounds when we make love and how tender he holds me after, whispering in my ear. He loves what he does and understand I love what I do too and allows me to be who I am. I have missed him so much and can't wait to see him.

Trying to shake it off, I open the bathroom and turn on the shower, throwing my clothes in the hamper in the bedroom. I step under the hot water, feeling instantly refreshed. I wash my hair and rinse the soap off my body. Turning the water off, I wrap a towel around my head and quickly dry my body off and walk naked to the bedroom.

I hear the front door get ripped open and Lee's voice "Ann, are you in here? Why the hell didn't you tell me you were coming back today?"

Peaking around the door, with the towel still wrapped around my head "Hey Lee! Sorry, I caught an earlier flight and......"

He slams the door shut and rushes in the bedroom, grabbing me and pulling me into his lap as he sits down on the bed and attacks my mouth with his. He is still in street clothes, but wearing Thranduil's wig and elf ears, so I am careful not to ruin any of that.

I feel a rush as we are kissing each other fiercely and his hands roam over my naked body, grabbing and hugging everywhere and he moans into my mouth "I missed you".

"I missed you too, Lee! How do you even know I am here and where are your parents?"

He unwraps my hair and runs his fingers thru it "I was in the makeup chair and Tami got a text from Richard and she told me. She proceeded to tell me I had 30 min. to go see you, so here I am and my parents are currently touring Weta workshop with Richard Taylor. They will be back at lunch time and then we will shoot something after lunch".

I snake my hand under his shirt, wanting to feel as much of his skin as possible, running up his strong back and around the front and kissing him with everything I got. He has one hand behind my head and the other one running up my leg, letting his entire palm rub over my thigh and then over my flank and forcefully reaching, kneading my breast and running a finger over my nipple, stroking it to a peak. When he does that, I moan into his mouth "Ohh Lee, I missed you and this". I shift, arching my back and he slides his hand back down and pushes my thighs apart before reaching in and making contact with my wet folds. I buck into his hand wanting more friction and he shift a little and I feel his hard cock straining to get out. Feeling him hard just spurs on my arousal and I push my hips into his hand "Lee, please".

He recaptures my lips and his hand goes to work, using his long fingers to tease me, running along my slick folds and over my clit. He does that a few times and I am a moaning mess, wanting more and he finally gives in and pushes a couple of fingers inside me and he growls in my ear "Is this better, babe? Oh god you are so wet and it turns me one". He fucks me with his fingers, making sure to rub my clit with his thumb and when he crooks his fingers and applies more pressure, I come undone, bucking into him and clenching around him as the orgasm overtakes me. "That's it, honey, ride it out" and he continues to stroke me until I am done.

I kiss him with passion and sigh with contentment "Hmmm.....Lee that was really good" and I look at his smirking face "and now, what do we do, we can't mess up that pretty elf hair of yours? I get up and grab his sweat pants and he lifts his hips to help me remove them. I kneel in front of him, and run my hands over his thighs and to his impressive erection. I cups his balls with one hand and run the other over his entire length, spreading the wetness around his head and he bucks into my hand "Ohh fuck, Ann......carefully, I am about come from seeing you come". I look up at him "What do you want, Lee? Want me to blow you?" and I lower my head, but he yanks me up "No, I need to be in you, I am going to fuck you senseless" and he gets up and makes me get on the bed.

I look at him "Lee, we can't mess up your hair and ears, Tami would kill you". 

He quickly steps out of his pants and unbuttons his shirt, standing in all his naked glory "I know, just trust me".

Lee gets on the bed and gently turns me around and I know what he wants now. I get on all fours and feel him kneel behind me. He leans over me, lovingly kissing my back and up my spine, teasingly biting my ear " You are so beautiful, Ann" and he cups my breast with one hand and he leans in further. I feel his swollen head at my entrance and he carefully pushes himself into my warmth and I moan in pure bliss when I feel his length slide inside me "You feel amazing" and he starts to move.

I am so aroused, the angle is just right and the stimulation almost too much as he pounds into me from behind and I am moaning with every thrust. He reaches around me and touches my clit with his finger and it doesn't take long before I feel another orgasm hit and I scream his name as I come "Leee!". His breaths are coming out in grunts as he keeps moving and he moans thru gritted teeth "Fuck, Ann...you are so tight". I feel him grabbing my hips and his movements become more frantic and he feels the familiar built up in his pelvis and knows he is close. He thrusts a few more times, deep and hard and his release washes over him and he spills into me with a final growl "Fuck I'm coming!".

He wraps his arms around me and plants kisses on my back and I feel the long locks of hair tickling my back and I let out a giggle "That tickles, Lee" and he gently separates himself from me, laying down on his side and I lay down on my back, next to him. We exchange a tender kiss "I love you".

Lee looks back at me and trace my chin with his hand "I love you more, Ann. I am so happy you are back. How was the trip?".

"It was great, bought $500, 000 worth of diamonds. Jet lag will be the pits in the next few days, but so is life.....".

He whistles "Holy shit, that is a lot of money.....".

"I know, but one stone was $100,000 for a special client so it can go fast. How is life here, how are your parents?".

"They are great, excited to be here and to meet you".

He is lazily tracking his fingers over my body and kisses me again.

I move some of the long, blond locks out of the way and carefully tucks it behind his elf ear " Better be careful with that hair and if Tami says anything about your elf ear being loose or falling off because you got sweaty, I am blaming you!".

Lee smiles and plants kisses on my collarbone and neck "It was totally worth it! Fuck, I am glad you are back".

I yawn and snuggles into him "Me too and I am so tired right now".

He pulls the sheet over me and plants another kiss on my lips "Tell you what, honey....why don't you have a nap and come join me on set when you wake up".

"Hmmm......that sounds good, Lee" and I close my eyes and are out before I say another word.

He kisses my forehead and then gets up with a sigh, getting dressed and heads back out the door.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I slowly wake up, stretching and opening my eyes. I look around and see the rumbled sheets and the memories of a few hours ago come flooding back. I smile and slowly get up, looking at the clock and seeing it is mid afternoon. Rubbing my face I get up and decide on another shower, my hair is a mess and maybe it will help me wake up.

Stepping out, I dry my hair as much as I can with the towel and walk back in the bedroom to find some clothes, I keep a few items in the trailer. I find some clean underwear in my suit case and throw on some jeans, a white, tailored shirt and some sandals. I got back to brush my hair in the bathroom and then putting it up with a sparkly clip. I apply some mascara and lip gloss, grab my phone and a water bottle from the fridge and head out the door.

I walk towards the indoor set on the big sound stage, making it down the hall and as I pass the custodial closet, the door cracks open and I see a familiar nose and forehead emerge and I say "The coast is clear, Thorin".

Richard jumps about 2 feet in the air and swings the door open, he shoots me a look, half pissed and half amused "Holy shit, Ann......you scared the crap out of me".

I laugh and see Tami come out behind him, she looks at me and gives me a sly smile "I don't want to hear a word about this........I had to reattach Lee's elf ears before lunch, so zip it".

"I told him!".

Richard looks at us both "You guys a bad" and giving Tami one last look "See you in a bit" and he walks down towards the set.

"See you, Richard" and I turn to Tami "The custodial closet, huh?".

She turns red " It is pretty great actually".

"I bet".

We wait for a minute and Tami reaches back in the closet and produces Thranduil's crown "Hey, can you go put this on Lee......I forgot to get something else in the makeup trailer".

Carefully taking the crown from her "Sure" and she hands me the pins. I have done this so many times now.

"Thanks, see you in a few" and she heads off.

I enter the set and I can tell they are just rehearsing and goofing off right now, waiting for lighting and camera angles to get figured out.

Pete is up on what is Thranduil's throne room with Lee, they are in an intense conversation with both of them staring at the script. 

I look at Lee and even though I have seen him in full costume several times now, it still takes my breath away. He looks so regal, tall and quite intimidating in his gorgeous clothes, his tall boots and the tight fitting sliver robe, that hugs him in all the right places. Today he has the big cape draped over his shoulders and you get a peak of the burnt orange that lines the inside of it. 

There are people standing around the room, watching the set, waiting for Pete's instructions and the dwarves are over in the corner getting their make up touched up.

It is almost like Lee's senses I entered the room because he looks over and gives me a big smile and I hold up the crown and he nods. 

He ends his conversation with Pete and comes down, meeting me at the edge of the throne room, he looks at me with his gray contacts, which makes him look very different and cold, but I can see the twinkle behind them "Hey" and he wraps his arms around me and kisses me "I thought Tami was bringing me that".

Ignoring the few loud cat calls when we kiss, I kiss him back "Well, she forgot something and asked me to bring it to you. I just caught Thorin and her coming out of the closet"

He lifts his eyebrow and grins "Really?".

"Yeah, but Tami told me to zip it since she apparently had to reattach your elf ears earlier......".

He nods and then kisses me again "Did you get some sleep?"

"I did, it was so nice. Come on, lets get you in a chair so we can attach this crown".

He grabs my hand "Ok and come meet my parents".

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

At the same time:

Lee's parents are seated next to Philippa on set and she is explaining how everything works and who does what in this big, often confusing space. 

They are watching their son and they see someone grabs his attention and Lee's mom follows his gaze "Is that who I think it is?"

Philippa looks "Yeah, that is Ann, your future daughter in law".

His dad pipes up "Is it that serious?".

"I don't know for sure, but your son is very smitten and for good reason. I have known Ann since the Ring days and she is a lovely gal".

His mom is watching us as we meet and kiss "She is a tiny little thing compared to him, isn't she? But beautiful, I can see why Lee would fall for that".

Philippa turns to his mom "She is gorgeous, but so much more and she gets Lee....and he gets her."

They all watch as we have our little exchange and get out of their chairs as we head their way.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I give him a nervous look as we walk across the set, amazed that Lee can even walk anywhere in the costume. I see Philippa standing next to two people and as we approach, Lee takes the water bottle from me and gestures towards his parents "Ann, please meet my mom and dad! Mom, dad, this is Ann!".

I quickly put the crown and pins in Lee's empty directors chair and shake his dad's hand "So pleased to meet you".

He pulls me in for a hug "So nice to meet you too, you are about all Lee has talked about since he got here".

His mom hugs me "Ohh, Ann, we are thrilled to meet you".

Lee beams and wraps his arm around me and we stand and talk for a few minutes, just about their experiences so far and how great New Zealand is.

Philippa interrupts "Sorry, but Pete would like to start shooting in 5 min.". She turns to me "You better plan on joining us for dinner tonight, I am glad you caught an earlier flight.......he was not a happy camper while you were gone".

I smile at her "Ok, thanks Philippa".

Lee hands his mom the big cape "Mom, hold this for a minute. Ann has to get this crown on me" and he sits down in the chair with his name on it, after picking up the crown and holding it in his lap. I grab the wooden box on the floor, so I can stand on it and he carefully hands me the crown.

I place it on his head, making sure the hair is smooth underneath it "How is that, does it feel ok?".

His parents are watching and his mom gets close to look at the crown "Wow, that is very intricate".

I look at her "Yeah, it is beautiful isn't it? Weta made it, all the little leaves are cut with a laser and it really makes Thranduil look even more regal".

Lee is not moving his head, but puts his enormous hands up "And look what Ann designed, all Thranduil's rings. And yes, it feels just fine".

His dad studies them "They are quite intricate too. I gather it is a lot of collaboration between costumes, props and everyone else?".

I nod "Yep, but that is what makes this so great and special working on these movies. And have to seen his sword?" I point to it, currently hanging from his side "That is the most amazing design work I have ever seen". 

Lee carefully pulls it out and holds it for them to look at "Isn't it nice".

While they are looking and talking about the sword, I make sure the crown is on the way it should be, that the wig looks smooth and nice around his elf ears and then carefully place pins in it to hold it. "Ok, you are good to go your highness".

He gets up and takes the cape from his mom and I help drape it back over his shoulders. Looking at his parents he smiles "See you in a bit and Ann can help you if you need anything" and he turns to me, still standing on the box, he wraps me in the rich fabric for a minute, hugging me tight and locking eyes with me " I love you" and kisses me deeply.

When we break I smile at him "I love you too, Lee! Go be a sassy elf king" and he swings around and trots off towards the throne.

His parents look at me and then at Lee walking off and his dad grins at his mom "Well, that was a first" and they look back at me, smiling.

I step down from the box "What?" and I sound worried.

His mom pats my arm "Oh, it is nothing, Ann. We just have never seen Lee be so open about his affection for his girlfriend before".

"Oh....he did tell me it was awkward with you guys when he came home to visit".

His dad snorts "That would be an understatement.......we are really close and he just never felt comfortable when he brought them over, which was really odd". He winks at me "But the fact he seems so open with you is a good sign".

I smile "Well, I hear I still have to pass the Carl test".

His dad chuckles "That dog has a mind of his own, he still looks at us accusingly when he comes to visit with Lee's sister.....he remembers the garage".

"I told Lee that animals are usually good at reading how people really are".

He nods "I agree and Lee told me that you love animals and ride in your spare time".

"I do....I hear you have horses".

"Yep, two arabians and two quarter horses".

"My favorite breed, the arabians......such noble creatures with an amazing history".

He smiles and is about to say something, but someone yells out "Quiet on the set!". I give him a smile and we take our seats, I crawl into Lee's directors chair and we watch the action. They are shooting the scene where Thorin and Thanduil meet in the throne room and I am still in awe how quickly Lee can switch into character. One minute he is making faces and goofing off, but as soon as "And Action" is heard, it is like he turns a switch and becomes the cold, collected elf king. They shoot for a while and I can't help but glance at Lee's parents, seeing them watching their son do what he loves to do and I can tell they are very proud of him and love him very much.

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................

There is a brief break and I catch one of the Weta workshop guys gesturing to me, so I excuse myself for a minute and walk into the hall. "Hey, what can I do for you?".

He is the one that made Thranduil sword and he hands me a couple of replicas that has the green paint on them, so they can be manipulated digitally if need be "Just wanted to give those to someone that would make sure they get in the right hands, I am in a bit of a hurry to get back to work on other weapons, would you mind? Faster than trying to track down someone else".

"No, not at all".

"Thanks, you are awesome, Ann! How is Lee?".

I smile "He is good, they are shooting in the throne room right now".

"You know, I really liked him from the start and the more I have gotten to know him, he is something else. You are very lucky and he sure loves you! He has something up his sleeve and I can't wait to hear about it...........".

I blush "I know, he is great and what does he have up his sleeve?".

"Never mind, shouldn't have even said anything" and he winks before walking away.

...................................................................................................................................................................................

At the same time:

Lee walks over to his parents "Where is Ann? And what do you think?".

He mom smiles at him "She is over somewhere talking and she is lovely, Lee, I can see why you are in love with her".

He blushes "Yeah, I pinch myself sometimes, that this is really happening".

"And your dad is smitten too....they had a great little chat".

He dad grins "Yeah, she is great, you better keep her around and bring her to the farm".

"Oh, I plan on it".

They are called back to shoot some more.

............................................................................................................................................................................................

We enjoy a great dinner at Philippa's beautiful home with Lee's parents and Pete and Fran.

After dinner, Lee and I walk out on the deck with a gorgeous view of the ocean and just stand there, enjoying the beauty of this magical place and when I shiver from the evening chill, he stand behind me, wrapping his arms around me and kisses my cheeks and whispers in my ear "I love you so much, Ann!".

I snuggle into him as we watch the sun set over the ocean "I love you more, Lee".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This went in a different direction ....no smut, just a little drama at the end........

Two months later:

I am sitting in my temporary office in Stone St. and contemplated life. It has been a couple of wonderful months, living with Lee and just enjoying our relationship. He is everything I could ever have hoped for and more. I had loved Brandon, but this feels even deeper, like two souls that was finally complete and I look forward to the holidays with him and family.

_**KNOCK**   KNOCK_

I look up "Come in, door is open" and I get up as Richard enters the room.

He comes over and gives me a hug "Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you and I will kill you if you tell Tami".

I smile at him and gestures to the chair by my desk and takes my seat on the other side "Sure, what can I do for you?".

"Well, I talked to Tami's dad and asked for her hand in marriage the other day".

I squeal and jump over and hug him and kisses his cheek "Oh Richard, I am so freaking excited".

He grins "Yeah, I can tell and I am too, but also nervous".

"Why? You have her parents blessing and you know she loves you".

"I know, but what if she has doubts or says no or freaks out or decides this is not what she wants".

He is wringing his hands and I gently place my hand over his and looks him in the eye "Richard, listen to me! Tami loves you will everything she has and what you have with her only comes around once, maybe twice in your life if you are so lucky. So stop doubting and have faith in what you guys share".

He nods "I know, I know, but I can't help it...just never been very sure of anything, I guess mostly doubting myself".

"Well, Tami doesn't doubt you or what you two share, so you shouldn't either! Anyway, what can I do for you?".

He looks at me "Would you please do her engagement ring? It would mean a lot to her and to me".

For whatever reason I get teary eyed "I would be honored, Richard!".

He looks worried "Shit, Ann.......so sorry, didn't mean to make you sad".

I laugh and wipe my eyes "I am not sad, just so happy to see this happen to my best friend, she deserves this and you. So what do you have in mind?".

"I don't know, really.......what would she like, she is pretty low key like me".

I pull my iPad out and open a folder and puts it up for him to look at "Well, I think she would like some sort of band, low profile and not some sort of huge ring. Do you want it plain, diamonds, gemstones?".

He scrolls thru some pictures of rings and get a glossy look on his face "Wow, didn't realize it could be so hard, too many choices. I have thought about the stone though and maybe a blue sapphire or something like that since it is her birthstone and Thorin's regal costume is blue-we met on the Hobbit after all".

"That is a great idea. Let me do some sketches and I will text you when you can come look at them".

He gets up and his phone goes off "That would be great" and he glances at it "Oh, it is your better half, I am wanted on the sound stage, I guess".

"Well, tell him hi when you see him and thanks so much for asking me to do this".

He kisses my cheek "I think Tami would say no if the ring came from someone else. Thank you, Ann" and he heads out the door.

I sit there for a minute and then pull out my sketch pad, starting to draw some ideas for the ring my best friend will be wearing as a symbol of the love she shares with Richard. I am kind of in my own little world when I am designing and don't hear footsteps or anything else until my door swings open and Lee sticks his head in "Hey babe, want to go out for lunch? I am done for the day" and he walks in. 

I get up from my chair and he comes around and we meet in a kiss and he lifts me off the ground for a minute, hugging me tight "I missed you".

Kissing him and hugging him back. I wait for him to put me back down "I missed you too and sure, that sounds good".

He glances at my desk "What are you working on?".

I smile at him and walk over to close my office door and glancing back at him, I notice he is holding something in his hand "What is that?".

He grins and tries to put it behind his back "What? Nothing......".

I run over and try to grab it from him, but all he has to do is hold his long arm up high and there is no way I can reach it. I tickle his sides and run my hands under his t-shirt, going up his flanks with my fingernails towards his arm pits and he is trying not to bend over, laughing "Stop, Ann.......that tickles".

He finally wraps his arms tight around me and goes in for another kiss, locking eyes with me and deepening the kiss and when we break he hands me the box "I had this made for you and was going to wait, but once I saw it, I just have to give it to you now".

I take the wooden box from him, recognizing it as coming from the jeweler that is making all the designs for me here in New Zealand, I look at Lee "You really don't need to give me anything".

He smiles and leans against my desk "I know, but I really wanted to and don't worry, it is not an engagement ring".

I laugh, taking a seat in my chair "I hope not, you haven't even met my dad yet".

"Come on, open it, it wont bite you".

I carefully open the box and I think I am staring at the object in it with an open mouth, I look at Lee "ohhh my gosh, Lee......that is beyond gorgeous".

Reaching in, I pick up the hinged bangle bracelet, formed like Thranduil's sword, with all the engraving on the handle, delicate engraving and piercings on the blade. It opens in the middle, so it will fit snugly around my wrist. I can tell from the weight and color that is is made out of platinum and it is just stunning.

He looks at me nervously "Do you like it? I had the guy from Weta design it and worked with your jeweler to get it right".

I put in on my right wrist and go over to Lee, cupping his chin in my hands "Lee, it is beyond beautiful. Thank You! You know I love the design of that sword" and I kiss him.

Resting his forehead against mine, he looks me in the eyes "I know and I wanted you to have something to always remind you of how we met. I never dreamed this would happen when I came here, I love you, Ann!".

I kiss him again and gently bite on his lower lip "I love you too, Lee".

We stay like this for a few, his hands resting on my lower back, me standing between his legs and just enjoying each other and what we share.

...................................................................................................................................

Lee and I are walking hand in hand towards the parking lot and when we get to the car, Lee pulls me against him, leaning his back on the car and kisses me deeply. I give in to the kiss and kiss him back with everything I have and when we finally break apart, I grin and look at him "What was that for?".

He smirks back "Just because" and he whispers in my ear "Maybe we should forget lunch and head to the closet on the sounds stage?".

I am about the respond when a very familiar voice booms behind me "Get your grubby hands off my daughter".

Lee's eyes go wide and I turn around in shock to see my father standing there, grinning "Dad! What on earth are you doing here?" and I run over and hug him, leaving Lee by the car.

My dad hugs me back "Surprise! I got talked into going to Australia to look at opals and south sea pearls and I thought, what the heck, I would stop by here first and see you".

He walks towards Lee, that looks extremely uncomfortable at the moment and extends his hand "You must be Lee and I am just messing with you, I am so pleased to finally meet you".

Lee slowly relaxes his face and shakes my dad's hand "Nice to meet you too and you about gave me a heart attack".

I hit my dad's shoulder "Dad! Why did you do that".

His eyes twinkle "Because I could and you kids didn't pay attention to anything but each other" and he looks at Lee "But seriously, I am so glad to finally meet you, you are all I have heard about the past 3 months and if you are half what she says you are, I couldn't be happier for you both".

Lee looks back at my dad "Thanks" and he puts his arm around me "I feel very lucky".

"So dad, how, when, why did you get here?".

"I got here this morning and you wouldn't believe who talked me into this".

"Who?".

"Suzanne Beck".

My eyes go wide "The Suzanne Beck?" and I turn to Lee as my dad nods "she is president of the GIA and my good friend, I speak or teach there once in a while when I am home". I turned back to my dad "How did that come about?".

He shifts from one foot to another and I can see him blush a little "Well, I guess you are not the only one that has been dating these past months........".

"What? For real? That is great dad, she is awesome".

He smiles "I know and she is very fond of you. Kept asking how you were doing and told her you were fine and dating a mighty elf king".

"Where is she?".

"She was really tired, so we checked in and she took at nap, I am suppose to come get her after I found you".

Lee speaks up "Would you guys care to join us for lunch? We were just about to head out for a bite to eat".

My dad looks at Lee "Sure, that would be great. We are staying at the West Plaza if you know where that is......".

Lee and I look at each other and smile "That is where we met, in the elevator".

"Oh really? So any place to eat near there?".

Lee speaks up "Lots of places or their restaurant is actually really good if you want to give that a shot? That way you guys don't have to go anywhere".

"That would be great".

"How did you get here, dad?".

"Taxi".

Lee gestures to the car "Well, jump in and we can get over there".

..............................................................................................................................................................

We enjoy a leisure lunch catching up with my dad and Suzanne. It is good to see they are so happy and comfortable with each other, but I guess they have been friends for years. Lee and my dad get along so well, but I knew they would. They live in very different worlds, but since they are both very interested in life and people in general, they find lot of things to talk about.

We say goodbye after a couple of hours, they will come to Stone St. tomorrow for a tour and to visit. My dad hugs me and whispers in my ear "Congratulations, Lee is everything I had hope you would find".

I smile back at him "I know, dad".

As we are walking to the car, Lee is holding my hand and he looks at me "What did your dad say to you?".

"That you are everything he hoped I would find".

He smiles "Really?".

"Yeah, he seemed very pleased and happy for me".

"He is a nice man, your dad and I can tell how much he loves you".

I nod " I know, I think we have both been blessed with great family".

"Speaking of which, will you come home with me to Texas in a a couple of months to spent Thanksgiving? My parents would love to have you and I want you to meet Carl".

"And would Carl love to meet me? I hear he doesn't like the women you bring home".

He laughs "I am sure he will be fine, he better be or he will be in the garage".

"I would love too......but I might just meet you there. I am leaving for the big jewelry show in Vegas before shooting wraps, remember?".

"That's right......and just fly in and we can hang for a bit and then go to LA to be with your dad, I probably should sit down with my agent and see what is brewing out there. I don't want this to ever end, but I know Pete will eventually finish these films. Richard thinks he will be here for another 2 years on and off".

I get a funny look on my face "Well, I think he is trying to calculate if he can fit a wedding in there somewhere or if they will have to wait".

Lee stops walking and turns to me "What? Did he propose to Tami, when did this happen?".

I smile "No, haven't proposed yet, but that is what I was working on before you gave me this",gesturing to the bracelet "I am designing her ring. Richard came and asked and he already talked to her parents".

"Wow.....that is great, I am so happy for them both. So will they marry here?".

I shrug "I have no idea.......I talked to Tami about it, when stuff like that comes up and she would like something there, but also knows Richard...a proper English wedding in the country side would be fitting as well, to honor his family and heritage. So maybe both?".

"I guess either way, we should just plan to be there".

"Yep, I would not miss it for anything.....seeing your best friend get married is a big deal".

We walk in silence the rest of the way to the car, I can tell something is nagging Lee, but I also know, it is best to just give him space and let him talk about it when he is ready.

We stop at the grocery store on the way back to Richard's apartment and buy some steaks and salad stuff for dinner. We both like to cook when we have the time, so that is kind of our daily routine to make dinner together or I will cook if Lee is having a later day on set.

I am making the salad and Lee throws the steaks on the grill outside on the deck and I bring him some bread to just quickly heat on the grill. I stop and look at the view from the deck, the ocean is perfectly still and this feels like paradise. Lee comes up and wraps his arms around me, resting his chin on my head "It is beautiful, isn't it?".

We stand in silence for a bit and enjoying the view, but I happen to glance over at the grill "Lee! The bread!".

He lets go and runs over there "Shit! I guess we wont have bread".

I laugh "It's ok...I have another loaf".

We sit down for dinner, just enjoying each others company and being together, talking about our day and everything else that comes to mind. After we clean up, we end up on the couch, on either end of it, Lee is looking over the script for tomorrow and comparing it to notes and a couple of books. I am sitting with my feet under me and a sketch pad, working on Tami's ring or at least trying too. I look at him , he is deep in thought about the script, flips back to his notes and back again-I love to see him work and how much he pours into his roles.

I look back at the sketch and doodle a few more lines and then throws my pad on the table and yawns "I am going to bed, Lee. This day was kind of exhausting with all the excitement of talking to Richard about Tami's ring, getting this gift from you and seeing my dad". 

He nods and glances over "Ok, I will be a bit......".

I walk over and kiss him "See you then" and he kisses me back, but I can tell something is still wrong. I am too tired to care at the moment, so I shrug it off and head for bed.

..............................................................................................................................

I roll over and reach for Lee, but sit straight up when I find his side of the bed still empty and I glance at the clock and it says 2:30am. I groan and swing my feet out of bed, rubbing my face and running my fingers thru my hair. I get up and walk in the living room, but the couch is empty, the scripts and notes laying where Lee sat several hours ago. There is light on in the kitchen, but he is not there either. I glance out on the deck and see the silhouette of his back, I walk over to the door and slide it open "Lee, are you ok?".

He turns slightly and when he speaks I can tell he is annoyed "Yeah, what?".

I am totally taken back and it takes me a minute to regain my composure "I was just worried about you".

He wont look at me, but turns his attention back to the ocean, the moonlight dancing over the rippling water "Or are you upset I didn't give you a ring today?".

I stand there stunned "WHAT? What on earth gave you that idea? Lee, that is ridiculous! I love the bracelet and holds special meaning to me! I thought we had a nice time with my dad and a great dinner tonight and now this? What is wrong?".

He shrugs "I don't know, but after meeting your dad, hearing Richard is going to pop the big question, I just got thinking that maybe you want the same thing as Tami....".

I cut him off "Lee, this is not some freaking competition between Richard and Tami and you and I. Yes, we are best friends, but do live separate lives, most of the time on either side of the world. I am thrilled for Tami and Richard and I would like to be your wife someday, but right now, just being with you is enough".

I walk closer and reach over to touch his shoulder, but he turns away " Please don't....".

His words go straight to my heart and I pull my hand away, I look at his back, fighting my tears "Fine, I'm sorry, Lee" and I walk back in the house, sliding the door hard as I close it behind me. I more of less run to the bedroom and sit down on my side and just loose it. I let the tears fall and my heart feels like it is breaking, this is not what was suppose to happen and I have no idea what has gotten into Lee.

 

 

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in the end, so be warned!

I sit there for a while, just silently crying my eyes out and I hear footsteps and the door open and the footsteps speed up and before I know it, Lee is kneeling at my side. He just throws his arms around me and hugs me tight "Oh god, Ann.....I am so sorry!" and I feel his tears on my neck and shoulder as he just breaks down and cries hard.

I just hug him back and hold him tight "Lee, it is ok".

He is calming down and between sniffles croaks "No, it is not. I just yelled at you and was a complete asshole to you".

I rub his back and then run my fingers thru his hair and then slowly lifts his chin and our eyes meet, both seeing the pain and tears mirrored back. He looks like beat puppy and reaches up to wipe the tears from my face and I give him a weak smile "Hey, care to tell me what is going on? Are you getting cold feet or what is happening?".

He sighs and another tear rolls down his face "NO, I don't have cold feet, never in a million years! I am so sorry I yelled at you, Ann! All this has nothing and I mean nothing, to do with you, it has to do with me and I am so embarrassed I took it out on you".

"It is ok, Lee.....look, it is late and you have an early day tomorrow. Just come and sleep with me and we can talk about it tomorrow" and I pat the bed.

He looks at me "I can go sleep on the couch or maybe just drive over to the trailer........I am sure you hate me right now".

"Lee, I don't hate you and probably never will, even if we would part ways one day......and don't be ridiculous, just come to bed and get some sleep" and I pull on his arm to try to get him in bed.

He looks defeated, beaten and tired as he stands up and reluctantly sheds his clothes and finally crawls into bed with me only wearing his underwear. I snuggle up to him and he rolls over so  he is looking down at me, gently brushing the hair from my face "I don't deserve this and I don't deserve you".

I caress his face "I love you, Lee! Please get some rest, you have a job to do tomorrow" and we meet in a sweet kiss,

He lays down on his back and I roll on my side, holding his hand and placing my other hand on his chest and we are soon out, exhausted from the day and the emotional roller coaster we had.

..................................................................................................................................

I am out cold and slowly come too as I hear my phone keeps going off and someone is snoring next to me. I open my eyes and see Lee, sprawled out on his back and snoring loudly. He looks exhausted and the memories of the events of last night comes flooding back and my heart hurts a little. I glance at the clock on his nightstand and I about have a heart attack. I jump out of bed, yelling to Lee as I hurry to the bathroom "Lee! Wake up, we totally overslept...you are due in the makeup chair in 20 minutes!".

I peak my head back out as I try to find some clothes to throw on and he is sitting up, his hair a complete mess, eyes red and he looks defeated as he he rubs his face "What....is going one?".

I toss him a pair of sweats and a t-shirt "We overslept....Tami expects you in 18 min".

His eyes goes wide and he jumps up "Oh shit!" as he pulls his clothes on. 

I run to the living room, grabbing my sketches and puts in my bag along with my laptop and iPad. I continue to the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing water bottles and two protein shakes and come back in the bedroom. Lee is roaming in the closet, and finally finds a baseball hat, puts it on and I hand him the shake and water "This will have to do for now. I can bring you coffee in the makeup trailer".

He grabs my hands and looks at me "Ann, about last night......".

I cut him off " We can talk about it later, you can't be late" and I reach up to touch his face and giving him a reassuring smile and stand on my toes to kiss him.

He grabs the keys by the door and sighs "I know, but I feel like such a jerk".

I usher him out the door "Not another word about it right now.......you have 10 min. or Tami will kill you. Put it aside for now, Lee, you have a job to do and Pete expects you to do your best. We can talk later".

"But your dad is coming later today........".

"I know, but he is a grown man and he knows life is not always a bed of roses. Right now we need to get your ass on set in time".

We basically run to the car and jump in and Lee probably sets a speed record getting to Stone St. He swallows the shake on the way and as soon as he parks the car and we get out, he turns to me "Look, Ann.....".

I put my fingers over his lips "Shhhh, you have 2 min. to get to make up. I will bring you coffee in 5".

He puts his hands up in defeat and leans down to kiss me "I am so sorry".

I cup his face for a second "I know" and he takes off running towards make up.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

Lee is almost to the door of the make up trailer when it swings open and Richard comes strolling out in full Thorin gear, he waves happily at Lee" Hey Lee" and when Lee gets closer, Richard wipes the happy from his face "What the hell happened to you, man? You look like shit!".

Lee looks down, trying to catch his breath after sprinting across the lot, and then glances back at Richard "Long story.....I was an ass yesterday to Ann and was up half the night".

Richard leans against the trailer "Want to talk about it?".

"I don't know, but I am due in there" and Lee points to the trailer.

Richard grins and walks back up the steps and opens the door "Lee will be a minute, I need to talk to him....I'll explain later" and closes the door. Walking back down, he gestures to Lee and they walk to the corner, out of ear shot "One of the perks of living with the head of makeup.....so what is going on Lee, what did you do?".

Lee runs his hands thru his hair and sighs "I don't freaking know......Ann told me yesterday that you were going to ask Tami to marry you and I am thrilled for you, but when I heard that, it just set off all these emotions and I kind of went to a dark place. I started thinking that maybe Ann was mad I hadn't ask her yet, maybe she deserved better, what if I don't measure up to her fathers expectations and I should point out, he surprised us yesterday and he is here and ....".

Richard puts his hands up "Woah, woah...Lee, slow down buddy! One thing at a time.....so you freaked out when you heard the marriage news, which is classified info by the way. Why?".

Lee looks straight at Richard "I don't really know....my thoughts just took off and I felt like maybe she was mad that I hadn't asked her yet, and that made me angry and frustrated and then it went to I didn't deserve her and then".

Richard puts his hand on Lee's shoulder "Stop right there! What the hell, Lee.....why don't you have more confidence in yourself and what you guys share? Did she act like she was mad?".

"No, oh god no, she was just so happy for you guys!".

"So what is the problem? You are one of the most confident people I know. I remember the first day on set and you walked in, not cocky, but just very comfortable in your own skin and I really envy that. You never seem to doubt your own acting talent or who you are as a person. So why are you doubting yourself when it comes to this relationship? Lee, Ann loves you and you guys are so good together, she gets you and lets you be who you are".

Lee thinks for a minute "Maybe because it is almost too good to be true.......she is everything I could ever hope to find and more. Something should be wrong or will go wrong eventually".

"Remember when we talked about Tami and Ann and how they are different?".

Lee nods "Yeah.....maybe that is another reason I am so weary, I have never had that before. I am use to girlfriend's that demand so much and want to change me and heaven forbid if I left the toothpaste cap off".

Richard laughs "I know and I understand, I pinch myself everyday I wake up next to Tami and feel like I won the lottery. I told Ann yesterday that I was nervous to ask Tami to marry me and she scolded me for doubting what we share and I am sure she will do the same to you. She told me to have faith in what we have. They both learned so much from Brandon's death and I guess we are really the ones that gets the benefits from that".

Lee smiles for the first time "You know, maybe you are right and now when I think about it, maybe I was just lashing out, because I was jealous, I wish I was the one that was going to propose".

"Well, nobody is stopping you".

Lee snorts "My own dignity is right now, I haven't even made it up to her yet or explained my insane behavior. We fell asleep exhausted and obviously overslept and she pretty much told me to get my ass here and we could talk later".

"See, she gets it.....you have a job to do on these films. Go talk to her later and be honest, I am sure she will understand...she is pretty smart".

"Well, I know that.....she can run circles around me".

Richard looks at Lee "Feel better?".

He gets a weak smile from Lee "Yeah, I do, thanks for listening and help me see the light".

"Anytime! Now get your butt in there or Tami will yell at me later".

"Okay" and Lee heads towards the door and Richard walks over the lot.

Richard looks at his phone and there is a message from "Ann":

_Hey, I got some stuff for you to look at. Stop by my office when you can~ Ann_

He quickly taps back a reply:

_Ok, will be by in a couple of hours....Thanks!_

...................................................................................................................................................................

I walk to the canteen and grab a big cup of hot coffee for Lee and one for myself. I iam stirring sugar in mine as my thoughts wander to yesterday and wondering what made Lee so upset. His schedule has been insane, but it still doesn't explain his outburst on the deck. My heart aches when I think about how sad he looked when he came in the room, the tears and the beaten puppy look. I love him more than I thought I would ever be able to love someone.

I am about to leave when Orlando comes in and makes a b line for me when he sees me and gives me a hug before pulling me out and looking at me "Are you ok?".

"Yeah, I am fine, why?".

"Because I just came from makeup and Lee came in and he looks like shit, like he had been crying all night. And you look at little tired"

I try to give him a smile "Did he say anything?"

"No, just hi and that he didn't want to talk about it and then mumbled something about being a jerk to you, but then decided he better not say anything else".

I give him a concerned look "I hope you didn't say anything to him about anything, he doesn't need to feel worse".

"No, I figure I better not say anything before I know if there is anything else to say. He looked pretty down already. So what did he do? Did he hurt you, are you guys over?".

I sigh "No, he didn't hurt me and no, we are not over. He just kind of freaked out and then took it out on me" and I see Orlando starting to bristle "No, don't you dare say anything to him! There is more to it, but I am not ready to talk to you about it before I have talked to him".

"If, you say so, but please don't let him treat you like anything less than you deserve".

"He wont and never will, Lee is too much of a gentleman! This was just something that was deeper and I was the nearest target. I know that has happened to you too.......need I remind you of the spatula that Miranda sent your way".

He winces "I know......I guess sometimes the people we love are also the ones that take the brunt of our anger and frustration".

"Exactly!" and I pick up the coffees "It was great to see you, but I better get this to Lee to try to wake him up, so he can be the cold and collected elf king".

Orlando hugs me "Take care, Ann".

"Bye". 

And I make my way toward the makeup trailer.

I enter the trailer, Tami is done putting on the elf ears and the wig and I smile at her "Hey".

She gives me a knowing look and ushers the two other people out of the trailer "10 min" and she closes the door behind her.

Lee is looking down at his hands and I go over and lean against the makeup counter, facing him and hands him the coffee "Hey...here, you better drink some".

He slowly looks up at me and I see the tears forming in his eyes and I hurry and grab a chair and sits down next to him, putting my arms around him and give him a soft kiss "Hey, please don't.......I am not mad at you".

He sniffles and kiss me back, looking at me "Well, you should be, I sure deserve it".

I hold his head in my hands and lock eyes with him "Lee, I love you! I never thought I could love anyone like I love you! I want the best for you and for you to be happy! Want to tell me what happened last night, why were you so upset?".

He looks down and wrings his hands together and then looks back at me "It is so stupid, but I think I was partly jealous that it was Richard that was going to do propose and not me. And then I just went to a dark place thinking you were mad that I gave you the bracelet and not a ring and then it turned to a lot of self doubt, that I didn't deserve you and wouldn't live up to your fathers expectations. I was just a emotional mess and didn't really know what I was feeling and why and that led me to just lash out at you and I can't tell you how mortified and sorry I am".

I kiss him again and look in his eyes "Thanks for being honest with me and how did you figure out what you were feeling?".

He gives me an embarrassed smile "Richard......I met him coming in here and we had a little chat. He made me see the light and articulate why I was feeling the way I did".

"It is ok, Lee and as I said last night.....being with you is enough right now, I don't want you to feel pressure that we have to get married. I love you and would love to be your wife someday, but this is not a competition between us and Tami and Richard. As for my father, he saw us yesterday and how happy we are".

He kisses me back "I know, I just lost my mind for a few hours and I love you too, Ann. I never thought this would happen to me and I guess I still think it is too good to be true".

I smile at him "Just follow your gut and have faith in us, in what we share".

He laughs "Richard said you would tell me that".

"Well, I do believe that".

I crawl into his lap and he hugs me tight, nuzzling my _neck_ and plays with my hair before we meet in a deeper kiss and when we break, he sighs "I just want to hold you the rest of the day, but I guess we better let Tami back in".

I kiss him one more time "Yes, we better and we both have work to do. I will come have lunch with you and my dad will be there this afternoon to see you guys film, he is headed for Australia tomorrow".

He hold my head with both hand and gives me a slow, deep kiss and when he pulls away, he looks at me "Ann, I love you more than you will ever know".

"I love you too, Lee" and I get off his lap "see you in a bit" and I leave the trailer, hugging Tami as I open the door "Thanks!" and I head out.

.........................................................................................................................................................................

I am sitting in my office, after showering in Lee's trailer, putting the final touches on the sketches for Tami's ring and thinking about last night and today, glad we talked and I just hope Lee has a good day shooting and not too tired or distracted to do his job.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Who is it?".

"It's Richard".

"It's open".

He swings the door open and comes in, wearing full Thorin gear "Thanks, I got 20 min. before our next scene".

I pull the sketches out and he takes a seat across the desk from me "That's fine, I will hurry and explain and you can mull it over and let me know. I came up with two designs and all input, criticism and ideas are welcome, you are not going to hurt my feelings by being honest".

He nods and looks at both sketches "Wow, they are both incredible".

I smile "Thanks! So the first one is totally modern, sleek and simple. I did a round cut, blue sapphire and as you can see the yellow gold just sleekly swirls around the stone, holding it in a half bezel on either side, so the stone is "floating" when you look at it on either side. I then just sprinkled some tiny white diamonds down the band on either side, they are set flush into the gold, so no prongs to catch on anything".

"I like the simple lines and no prongs".

"Number two is a lot more detailed and antique looking. Still a round, blue sapphire, but set with a double bezel of milgrain that goes all the way around the stone. Around that is a very intricate geometric pattern, also milgrained and pierced and around that, small, white diamonds set in bezels with milgraining around each. This has a very beautiful sideview of the "basket" that holds the sapphire and diamonds, which rests on a thin band with some bezel, milgrained white diamonds going down it. Still no prongs to catch on anything and since the ring is in yellow gold, it looks very rich and regal. The geometric pattern reminds me of Thorin's costumes and the ring looks like something the dwarves could have made in Erebor".

Richard studies the sketch and looks at me "You hit the nail on the head and this is the one! Holy crap, Ann.......I am in awe, that ring is stunning".

"Are you sure? I can tweak it or come up with something else".

He shakes his head "No, please don't, this is perfect. I like the modern one, but this speaks so much more to me and has more meaning. Yes, I am sure".

"Ok, I am flattered. I will start looking for the sapphire and let you know when I find one and it gets here. You can look at it and we can take it from there".

"Great, thank you!".

"You are more than welcome and thank you for talking to Lee this morning.........".

He looks at little unsure "Sure, I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries".

"That is silly for you to even think that, Richard, you did what a good friend would do and he sees the light".

"So you guys talked?".

"Yes, and we are good. I told him that being with him is enough right now, no pressure or rush to get a ring on my finger. My heck, we haven't dated that long, but I think we forget that sometimes, because it feels so right".

Richard nods "I understand that. And by the way, no offense, but I am glad I am not Lee, if he ever asks you to marry him, the pressure to get that ring right.....yikes!".

I laugh "He will figure it out or either just ask me and have me do it or talk to my father".

"I hear he showed up yesterday".

"Yep, surprised us and he is coming here later before flying to Australia to look at some stuff. I will actually ask him to look for a sapphire".

_KNOCK KNOCK_

I look up "Who is it?".

"It's Tami".

Richard looks at me in panic and I quickly put the sketches under some stuff on my desk and I look at him "You were just here to talk to me about Lee".

He nods and gets up, leans over to kiss my cheek "Thanks" and goes over and opens the door.

Tami looks at him in surprise "Rich, what are you doing here?".

He grabs her and pulls her in for a kiss "It is nice to see you too, darling. I just stopped by to make sure she was ok after Lee's meltdown" and nods towards me.

Tami squeals as he moves down to kiss her neck "Rich, stop it, you need to go back to set".

He looks at her and kisses her one more time "I know, but I will see you at lunch in my trailer" and he wiggles his eyebrows and leaves with a smirk on his face.

I shake my head as Tami come in, blushing slightly "You guys need to keep your hands off each other for more than 2 hours".

"He can't help it, all the fighting makes him horny".

I put up my hands "That was more info than I needed to know" and then I look at her, kind of blushing too "I actually know......all the sword training....well, it gets Lee going too".

She closes the door and flops down in the chair across from me "So, what is up with Mr. Sunshine? He looked like a beaten puppy when he came in today, but his mood did seem better after you came and talked to him".

I am very careful when I answer "He just panicked for a few hours. My dad is here and surprised us yesterday, I think that made Lee freak and doubt everything, but we are good".

"Your dad is here? When, how?" and I tell her about it and add "He will be here later today".

She glances at her clock "That is awesome! I better get back, just wanted to make sure you are ok and we didn't have major drama".

I get up and hug her "Thanks, Tami and no, no drama" and she heads out the door.

......................................................................................................................................................................................

I am walking towards the canteen to meet up with Lee for lunch, but as I pass the custodial closet he reaches his long arm out and drags me in, shutting and locking the door behind us. I look at him in shock "Lee, what are you doing?".

He smiles and brings me in for kiss "I think you know what I am doing".

I return the kiss "But your hair,ears and we can't ruin your makeup".

He leans against the wall and pulls me between his legs, to lessen the height difference as he attacks my neck and collarbone "It will be fine.....they expects touch ups after lunch and they tied my hair up, so it wont tangle".

I moan as he assaults my delicate skin and my hands travel under his loose t-shirt, over his abs and up his chest "Well, at least they removed Thranduil's outer long coat and made you wear a t-shirt".

His lips meet mine in a passionate kiss "Yeah, they didn't want me to spill food on that and at least I can walk".

I slide my hands to his butt and pulls him closer "Those tights hide nothing, Lee".

He grinds into me "Tell me about it, I had to get you in here or it would be embarrassing the rest of the day".

I feel him rock hard and I yank at his shirt "Can we get this off without messing up your ears and hair?".

He steps around me and carefully pulls it off and turns to me "I think somebody is overdressed" and he grabs the hem of my shirt and pulls it over my head.

i look around, wondering how this will even work, I hope the floor it not the only option.

Lee reads my mind and drags me over to a table in the corner and pushes down on it with his upper body, testing it "I think this will hold".

I shed my skirt and feel his lips on my shoulder and hands on my hips, as he place kisses down my back and unclasps my bra in the process. He reaches around and cover each breast with his hands and growls in my ear " fuck, you turn me on, babe".

I turn around and he grabs me under my arms and lifts me up, planting me on the table and I yank him in for another passionate kiss and wrap my legs around him. 

He pushes into my heat with his erection and I slide my hands under the waist band of his tights and roam over his butt and pulls him even closer. He bucks his hips as he roams his hand up my back and place another on my butt, to get more friction. I pull his tights down, carefully freeing his rock hard cock and he sighs as I free him, caressing his shaft and running my fingers over his swollen head. I feel  a couple of wet, slick drops on my fingertips and spread the fluid as I moan into his mouth "oh god, I want you, Lee".

He pulls back a little, so he can shove his tights down to the top of Thranduil's high boots and he slides a finger under my underwear and quickly removes it. He looks at me with hunger, need and lust plastered all over his face, this is a lot better than the beaten puppy, I saw earlier today. I pull him closer by reaching for his shoulders, but he holds back a little and kisses me "Hold on, babe....I am going to take care of your first" and he runs his hands up my thighs and then brings my face in for a hungry kiss with one hand as he snakes the other between my thighs and runs his long fingers over my folds.

I buck with the contact and moan between kisses "Lee, please".

He growls in my mouth as he slides two fingers inside me "you are so wet" and he starts to fuck me with his fingers and making sure to brush over my clit ever so often. 

I am clinging to him for dear life and a moaning mess "ohhh.... that feels incredible".

He keeps moving his fingers and I feel my entire body starting to coil and a couple of more strokes and I brake, convulsing and shuttering around him. I bite his shoulder and shout his name as I come "LEE!" and he continues to stroke me until it is over.

We meet in a deep kiss and I reach down to stroke him and he grits his teeth as I wrap my hand around his shaft "Careful, Ann......I am about to..".

I guide him to my entrance and lock eyes with him "Well, then you better come in".

His eyes are dark with arousal as he returns the look and he slides home in one fluid move, making us both moan in pleasure. He grabs my behind and pants in my ear "fuck you feel good" and he starts to move. 

I know this will be sweet and fast, I wrap my arms around him and run my nails up his back, urging him on "fuck me, Lee...harder, babe".

He is grunting with every thrust and I can feel his release as he thrusts one last time, holding me firmly to him as he pulses within me and moans in my ear "oh god".

We hold each other tight for a while, I still have my legs wrapped around him and we are both trying to catch our breath and enjoying the intimacy we just shared. Lee has his head in the crook of my neck and I lean mine on his shoulder and lazily runs my fingers up and down his back.

He plays with my hair and kisses me gently as he brushes a strand of hair from my face "I love you, Ann".

I smile at him "I love you more, Lee".

He leans his forehead against mine and sigh in contentment "Maybe we should fight more, if this is the end result".

I kiss him "No, we better not......it killed me seeing you so upset".

"And it broke my heart that I made you cry, so you are probably right".

I smirk at him "And I think the sex we have is always pretty great".

He smiles and kisses me again "I agree and I am not complaining. It just felt even deeper because of all the emotions and I think I love you more today than I did yesterday".

"I love you too, Lee".

We reluctantly untangle ourselves and get dressed and then make our way to the canteen for lunch. We are standing in line for food and Lee is behind me, with his arms wrapped around me and I am holding onto his hands with mine. He leans down and kisses my cheek and whispers in my ear "god, I love you".

Orlando strolls by and pats Lee's arm "So glad to see you have come to your senses, man" and he gives me a smile before heading out the door.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of fluff and cuteness....no real smut, but talks about it:0)

Lee is standing on set, watching me talk very animated to Richard Taylor in the distance, I am holding my iPad and we are looking at it.

My dad walks up to Lee, watching him watch me, he puts a hand on Lee's shoulder "You love her deeply, don't you?".

Lee is jolted out of his thoughts and looks at my dad "Yes! I never thought I would find someone like her!".

My dad smiles "I know I am biased, but she is incredible and you are a very lucky guy".

"I know, I realized that even more today".

My dad doesn't want to pry "Good for you and I am in no way putting pressure on you, but if you ever decide to get her a ring, there is a diamond sitting in my vault..".

Lee nods "I know, Ann told me about it and thank you, I know it means so much to her".

"And to me too, since I bought it for her mother and it is essentially a perfect diamond, which might not mean much to most, but to us crazy gem people....it is everything".

Lee laughs "I am beginning to understand that.....hearing her talk about designs and stones, it is fascinating to me. It is like a foreign language and culture".

"Well, it kind of is".

They watch me for a few minutes before I bid Richard farewell and head their way.

They both smile when I come over "What are you guys talking and musing about".

They exchange a look and my dad shrugs "Oh nothing....".

"Sure dad" and I stand on my toes to kiss Lee "Hey".

He kisses me back "Hey, babe. So what was the big discussion with Richard Taylor about?".

"He was showing me your battle armor and we were discussion the circlet you will be wearing with it. They will try to have it done after Christmas, so you can test it and practice fighting in it".

Lee looks at me "It looks pretty cool".

"It is amazing, Lee. The talent at Weta is incredible and I love your cape with the red velvet lining".

I turn to my dad "So dad..... I talked to Suzanne and she said you are having Thanksgiving with her family, which is great because I was going to visit Lee in Texas with his folks".

"Oh, that would be great. Are you coming home for Christmas though?".

I look at Lee and he nods "Lee and I are going to come to LA for Christmas or if you are going to Aspen, we will come there".

My dad grins "Wonderful and I haven't decided where yet, but probably Aspen since Christmas and snow just seems better than heat and palm trees. Do you ski, Lee?".

"Yeah, yeah, I love to ski, so that sounds awesome!".

Lee gets called back to shoot, so I stand in the corner with my dad since Suzanne is talking to Philippa.

I turn to him "So I have a favor, can you look for a round blue sapphire for Tami's engagement ring? Cornflower or cashmere blue, 1.5-2 carats".

He lifts an eyebrow "Not picky at all are we? That color is hard to get and in a round?".

"I am very well aware of that and that is why I picked it, she deserves the best".

"I know she does, honey and I sure like Richard a lot, met him earlier today. Very nice guy, humble and quiet, just the right guy for her".

I glance at him "I know I don't need your approval, but now you have met Lee.....?".

He looks at me "No, you don't, but he is a great guy and I have watched him today around you and there is no doubt he loves you so much. The way he looks at you when you are not looking....wow".

For whatever reason that hits me and tears are forming in my eyes "Oh dad, that is so sweet".

He looks concerned "Oh honey, I didn't mean to make you sad".

I sniffle "I am not sad, just a little overwhelmed.......I never thought this would happen after Brandon died".

He hugs me " Well, just be grateful it did and be as happy with Lee as you can be, you deserve it".

We spent the rest of the day on set and enjoy each others company.

...........................................................................................................................................................

 2 months later:

We are approaching the airport on Texas, so I buckle my seat belt and put my stuff away. I look out the window as the clouds go past and feel a jolt of excitement, I can't wait to be in his arms again. I left New Zealand almost 3 weeks ago to fly back to LA to wrap up some work and then went on to the big jewelry show in Las Vegas to see all the new trends, buy stones and mingle and rekindle business relationships. This is one of the biggest events of the year and I always look forward to almost an entire week surrounded by "my people".

It was hard to leave Lee behind, even harder than the last time. He was busy wrapping up the first part of shooting, so we had talked or Skyped or texted when we could. He got back to Texas yesterday and I had some stuff to finish up in LA after the big show, so I am joining him today. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I look forward to spending it with Lee. I am a little nervous to meet his entire family and especially Carl, but Lee keeps telling me it will be ok.

We touch down and I grab my stuff, thank the stewardess and walk into the terminal with my carry on bag. I walk out past security and is scanning the crowd looking for Lee and a smile creeps up on my face when I see him. He is standing against one of the big cement pillars and he is a sight to behold, wearing jeans, cowboy boots, a navy v neck tee and a worn leather jacket. His hair is slightly messy and he has a day old scruff on his face. I notice two women in the coffee shop next to him just about drooling all over for him and Lee is just oblivious, which just makes me laugh.

I walk towards him and he looks up and sees me, a big smile spreading on his face. He opens his arms as we meet. I embrace him and he lifts me off the ground and locks eyes with me, looking at me with such love and he sets me down and cups my face with his hand and we meet in a tender kiss, he is slowly opening his mouth and it turns into something a little more heated.

When we break, he smiles "god, I missed you, Ann" and he kisses me again.

I run my fingers thru his messy hair and over his face, feeling the scruff and I playfully bite his lower lip as we break apart "I missed you too, Lee".

He takes my carry on and claps my hand with his, leaning down to whisper in my ear "Let's go home so I can make love to you for hours".

I lift an eyebrow "Hours, huh? Don't you have jet lag, you just got in yesterday?".

He smirks "I can sleep later, it is overrated anyway".

"Yeah, I think that is what you told me the night we met and look where it got us..... ".

"I am not complaining. You have a suit case too, right?"

"Yes, it is over on carousel 9, I think".

We wait at the carousel, I snuggle into him and he hugs me, kissing the top of my head and I look up at him "I missed you".

He kisses my lips "I missed you too, babe. Oh, here it is" and he grabs the suitcase off the belt "My hell, did you pack your entire house?".

"No, but since we don't know exactly what and where we will be for the next month, I thought I better be safe rather than sorry".

"You know, Ann, they do have stores here too"

"Very funny, Lee" and I slap his butt.

He laughs as we walk out of the airport hand in hand. Two women approach before we get to the door and I recognize them from the coffee shop, They are a little younger and they are almost, pushing each other and the brunette speaks to Lee "Hey, so sorry to bother you, but are you Lee Pace?".

We stop and he looks at them "Yeah".

They look at each other and then back at us, well, mostly him and the blond one pipes up "Oh my gosh, we both love Pushing Daisies. Do you mind taking a picture and signing something?".

Lee looks at me for a second, but I just give him a smile of encouragement and he turns back to them "Well, thanks, I loved the show too. Sure, we can take a picture".

The brunette looks at me "Sorry to interrupt".

"Oh, not a problem and I can take the picture if you guys want".

They both hand me their cell phones and Lee gets in between them and I snap a few with each phone.

I hand the phones back and the blond gratefully takes hers "Thank you so much".

Lee is signing a couple of pieces of paper and making small talk "So, what's your names?"

Blond "I'm Sarah and that is my best friend Debbie".

He smiles at them "Nice to meet you both and this is my girlfriend, Ann" and he looks at me.

Smiling at both of them "Nice to meet you".

I can see the envy in their eyes somewhere and I don't blame them, Lee is gorgeous and even nicer than they can even imagine or what you see in interviews.

Debbie speaks up "I thought you were filming the Hobbit right now?".

"Oh I am, but just wrapped the first block of filming and came back yesterday to spent the Holidays with my family here in Texas".

Sarah looks excited "We can't wait to see the movies, love Tolkien and with you in it.....".

Lee laughs "Thanks and they will be amazing in the hands of Peter Jackson".

I can resist "Just wait until you see him as the mighty elf king, it is pretty amazing".

They both grin and then Debbie touches Sarah arm "Well, we wont bother you guys anymore, but thanks so much for being so gracious".

Sarah nods "Yeah, thanks so much and Happy Thanksgiving".

Lee picks up my suit case again and takes my hand and smile at the ladies "Your welcome and Happy Thanksgiving to you guys too".

I smile and wave as we walk out the door "Happy Thanksgiving".

Stepping outside feels so good and I inhale the fresh air and Lee looks at me "Sorry about that, hope it didn't make you feel awkward".

"No, not at all and don't apologize for being a nice guy, that is one of the reason I love you".

He puts my suitcase down and smirks at me as he wraps his arms around me "You love me, huh?".

We meet in a heated kiss and as we break, I gaze into his eyes "Yes, I do Mr. Pace and more than you will probably ever know".

He plays with my hair with one hand and runs the other over my face,  "That's good, because I love you too" and he steals another kiss before we continue to walk towards the parking garage, our fingers intertwined.

I am following Lee and we stop in front of a huge, tan colored Chevy truck, extended cab and I look at him with laughter in my eyes "Are you serious? Nice ride, Lee.......I see you more as the SUV type".

He puts my suitcase in the back seat and opens the door for me "It's my dad's...it makes sense when you live on a farm. And yes, if I had a car, it would probably be an SUV, but when your apartment is in NY, you just walk everywhere or take a cab. Besides, right now home seems to be New Zealand or with you or my family".

"I know, home is kind of fluid right now and that is ok" and I step up on the foot rails, trying to climb in "Gosh, I might need a latter to get in here".

He slaps my behind "Nah, I can push you" and he walks around and effortless gets in the drivers seat.

Lee looks at me and leans over, grabbing my face with both his hands and kissing me with passion, our tongues duel for a few minutes and I lick his lower lip, letting my hands roam thru his hair and touching his long neck. He runs his fingers over my throat and follows with his mouth, kissing me down my neck and over my collar bone and a low moan escape my lips "Hmmm.......Lee, you better stop or we will be arrested for humping each other in the airport's parking garage. Thanksgiving in jail doesn't sound that appealing to me, I want to wake up tomorrow next to you, naked".

He growls in my ear "I know, but do you have any idea how bad I want you right now".

I kiss him and smile into his mouth and lifts an eyebrow, while letting one of my hands travel from his knee, up his thigh and over the bulging front of his jeans "Yeah, just slightly" and he moans when I rub him, pushing his hips into my hand.

He takes a deep breath and pulls his face and hands away from me, gripping the steering wheel "Crap, but we better get going and calm down before we drive into my parents driveway or it could be embarrassing. My younger brother would have a field day if I stepped out of the truck with a hard on".

I rub him one last time and breathes in his ear "Well, I am sure we can take care of that later....is there a shower at your house?".

Lee white knuckles the steering wheel and turns the roaring truck engine on and a whimper escapes his lips as he gives me a lustful look "Fuck, Ann......please stop or we will get arrested".

"Ok...I will, but it is just so fun to get you all worked up" and I let out a laugh.

Glancing at me painfully, he adjusts in his seat "Easy for you to say, you are not the one that is about to burst out of your pants here".

I run my hand over his and then up his arm and I lean over and lick his ear "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I am pretty wet".

Lee closes his eyes, clenches his jaw and leans back in his seat, his breathing sounds ragged "oh god...just stop". He turns his head and captures my lips in a searing kiss before pulling away and shifting the truck into reverse "Just wait, I am going to fuck you senseless as soon as we get a minute".

He is backing out and I am about to respond when his phone goes off over the trucks speaker system and he pushes the answer button on the steering wheel and croaks "Mom?".

"Lee, honey, are you ok?" and I am trying not to laugh.

He gives me warning look before answering "Yeah, I am fine, just picked up Ann. Do you need something?".

"Hi Ann, we are so excited you are here".

Hi, I am too, can't wait to see you and meet the rest of the family".

" Lee, can you stop and pick up some cranberry sauce, orange juice and brown sugar. I forgot earlier today".

"Sure, mom........see you in a bit, bye" and he hangs up and lifts a finger at me "You are bad" and he laughs, one of my favorite noises he makes.

"I know, but part of the fun. So how is Carl, was he thrilled to see you? You said last night on the phone that he was crazy".

He is holding the wheel with one hand as we leave the airport and talking with his other hand, like we both do "Yeah, he didn't know what leg to stand on and has been following me around and been clingy since I got home. I could barely get in the shower or go to the bathroom without him right there".

"Awwww, he is is afraid you will leave him again. I doubt he will be excited to see me since I will compete for your attention".

Lee pays the parking fee and we head on the freeway to town and he glances over at me "Nah, he knows you already".

"How? He has never seen me before".

"He will know your scent......and don't get mad, but I grabbed one of your shirts from the apartment before I left New Zealand and brought it home here. I took it out yesterday and let him sniff it and left it on the bed".

"Oh, that is so sweet and a great idea".

"He sniffed it quite a bit and kept looking at me, I think he was confused and wondered where you where".

"Well, I hope he likes me and doesn't growl".

Lee reaches over and squeezes my hand "It will be fine".

We pull into Target and grab what we need, stopping at Starbucks for coffee to go and get back in the truck.

We drive for a little bit, just talking and soon turn down a road a little more rural and down a driveway, almost hidden by tress and we turn the bend and pull up to a gorgeous log home, surrounded by trees and Lee stops the truck by the garage "Welcome to the Pace home".

I look at him and smile "This is gorgeous, Lee and no wonder you would come here whenever you are off work, this is like a small piece of heaven".

He comes around and opens my door, giving me a hand to get out and he lifts me into his arms as I try to step out. He wraps his arms around me and kisses me, before setting me on the ground "I know, I love it here".

We are about to get the stuff out from the back when yelling is coming from the front porch "Carl! Come back here you dummy, bad dog!!!" and a dog appears at our feet, wagging his tail like crazy and trying to jump up on either of us. His leash is trailing behind, so he clearly got away from someone. Lee grabs his leash and pets his head "Carl, calm the freak down", but Carl just keeps jumping and I kneel down and he comes over, sticking his nose out to sniff the hand I am holding out and he is sniffing and then licks it, before he lunges over to lick my face. I am laughing and trying to protect my face, but it is a loosing battle and Carl barks once and looks up at Lee before going back to licking me. All this happens in a split second and Lee pulls on Carl's leash and finally gets the dog away from me and reaches down to give me a hand, so I can get back on my feet "Oh my hell, are you are ok, Ann? I'm really sorry".

I wipe dog drool from my face and grins at him "Yes, I am fine, at least he didn't growl at me" and we both look at Carl who is looking at both of us with anticipation before he starts dancing and jumping around us again. 

A woman appears around the truck and rushes over "So sorry big brother, he got away from me".

Lee laughs "It is ok, he is a tad crazy. Please say hi to Ann. Ann, this is my sister".

She smiles big and hugs me tight "So good to finally meet you! You are the center of his universe! He has it bad" and she nods towards Lee.

"So nice to finally meet you too! Well, I am rather fond of your brother too".

 "I bet and I see even Carl approves, that is a good sign".

We look at the dog, Lee is talking to him, kneeling in front of him and petting him.

I look fondly at them "I think he missed you, Lee" and turning to his sister "It is so nice of you to take care of him when Lee is gone".

"My kids love Carl and we are happy to do it. Come up to the house and meet everyone" and she motions for me to follow her.

Lee looks up and unhooks Carl's leash "Go on, I will get the stuff".

We walk up to the house and I meet everyone, Lee's nieces and nephews, his brother in law and his parents are overjoyed to see me again.

His mom hugs me tight "So good to see you again, Ann and welcome to our home".

"So good to see you too and thank you, this is beautiful".

His dad gestures around from the front porch where we are standing "Yeah, we kind of like it" and with a spark in his eyes he looks at me "I see you passed the Carl test" and he looks down at Carl, that is currently clinging to my side.

"I guess so" and I pet Carl's head and he looks up at me with begging eyes.

Lee's dad lets out a laugh "Look! I think Carl is in love too!" and he yells to Lee as he comes towards the porch "Hey Lee, you got competition son, Carl is going bonkers over your girlfriend".

"Great" and he mumbles to himself as he walks up the steps "But he is not sharing the bed with us".

I slap his arm "Lee!", but everyone just laughs and we walk in the house.

The house is gorgeous, opens up to a great room with big tall windows and a beautiful deck on the outside, overlooking a small lake and pasture in the distance, with horses grazing. I can see the barn over to the right. The kitchen is in the corner of the great room with a dining area and fireplace. 

Lee takes my hand "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour". We walk up some stairs by the kitchen and we end up in a big room with a king size bed, more big windows with a view to the lake and a private bathroom with a big tub and shower. Lee shuts the door and puts my suitcase next to the closet doors and drags me over to the bed and pulls me into his lap. Our eyes meet and he kisses me deeply and plays with my hair, I put my head on his shoulder and hugs him tight as he kisses the top of my head "I love you so much and I am so glad you are here! The last 3 weeks in New Zealand were awful without you".

I sigh in pure contentment and move my head up to kiss him tenderly "I miss you too, Lee.....maybe 3 weeks apart is too long from now on?".

He looks at me, his gaze pretty serious "I think it might be, but I also know you have work and a life too, I would never ask you to give it up or put it on hold for me".

I touch his face and run my hand along his jawline and kiss him again "I know that, Lee and I am not saying I will drop everything to be with you in New Zealand full time, but maybe I just need to plan ahead and make this work better for both of us".

He takes my face in his hands and kiss me "Whatever you need to do or not do and I will have to do the same once this project is done. I am meeting with my agent when we are in LA to plan ahead. I want you in my life and I want this to work, so whatever I need to do to make that happen".

Kissing him again and sucking on his lower lip "I am just happy to be here with you now and I hope we can both enjoy this next month or so together".

"WOOF! WOOF!"

We both look at the door and I look at Lee with laughter in my eyes "Uhmm...I think you left your furry child outside, Lee".

He reluctantly moves me aside and gets up to open the door and Carl pushed himself thru as soon as Lee cracks the door and runs in and jumps on the bed. Lee turns around and points at Carl "Oh no, Mister......get down from there, that is not your area and it never will be! You have your own bed! Carl, down!".

Carl looks at me and scoots over and puts his nose on my hand. I pet his head and he rolls over on his back, wanting me to scratch his belly.

Lee walks back over " Yeah, try to make her feel bad for you, but it wont work. Carl, off the bed!" and Lee looks at me "I don't want him up here.......then he thinks he should be up here when we ...uhm.....you know".

I scratch Carl's belly once and then stand up and look at Lee with an innocent look "When we what, Lee?". I see a faint blush creep up his cheeks and I giggle "Are you blushing Mr. Pace? Why? You are usually not shy about talking about sex, let alone having it". I look at Carl "Get down, buddy, you heard your dad" and Carl looks defeated and jumps off the bed, but then is instantly happy again when I pet him "Good boy! Now go lay down in your bed". Carl goes over and lays down in his very comfy bed, watching us.

Lee comes over and wraps himself around me and plants kisses down my neck and I return his passion and run my hands under his shirt and up his back. He looks at me "I know it is silly, but this is still my parents house......".

"I get it, Lee, but really.....I am sure they would think it was weird if you didn't have sex with me or the other girlfriends you brought home".

He gives me a funny look "Well, I didn't with any of the others while we were here, it was just too weird for me".

I deepen the kiss we are sharing and his hands roam under my shirt, one arm wrapped around me and the other one busy kneading my breast thru my bra. I look at him "Are you serious? No wonder you hated bringing them here and never stayed long when they were here with you".

He nips at my ear and I feel his hot breath tickling my neck "I know, I spent a lot of time in the shower by myself and a bar of soap".

I moan into his mouth "Please don't tell me that, Lee".

He looks at me with curiosity "Why?".

I push him over to the couch by the window and make him sit down and I crawl into his lap, straddling him and I grab his head and kiss him with force and when we need air I look at him "Because the thought of you getting yourself off in the shower turns me on".

He grabs my butt and push me into his erection and his breathing is heavier "Well, how the hell do you think I survived the last 3 weeks without you?".

I whimper and grind my hips against him "Lee, stop or I am going to tear your clothes off right now".

He smirks " I am no opposed to that idea at all" and he runs his hands under my shirt, letting his palms rub all over my back before bringing them to the front and cupping my breasts, kneading each and kissing me with hunger.

I pull his face away from me for a second and look him in the eyes "So why is it not weird with me? And why was it ok for you to get yourself off in the shower, but not have sex with someone else?". He raises an eyebrow at me and I let go of his face since I feel the need to talk with my hands "No, I am serious, it is just a curious thing to me and I want to know".

He removes his hands so he can talk back to me in the animated way we seem to communicate best and I scoot off of him and sit next to him. I face him and is waiting for his answer "I don't really know" and he thinks for a minute "I guess the answer part of the question is that to me, jacking off is one thing......" and he blushes a bit "I mean, I did that at home before, when I was a teenager.......oh don't look so shocked...I was a boy, I had hormones...".

Smiling at him "I am not shocked, it is just fun to see you blush".

He goes a shade deeper in his cheeks and his cute dimples are showing "And I honestly don't know the answer to the other part of the question. I just always felt antsy when I was here with someone, I could never really relax and let go and that bothered me, since this is one of my favorite place to be. Sex to me is about letting go and giving part of yourself to someone else. Yes, sometime lust just takes over and you do it because of that and it feels damn good, but most of the time it should be more".

I am listening to every word and nod "I agree and it was kind of shocking to me that we ended up in that bathroom the day we met. I had never done that with anyone before and what was even more shocking, when we made love in the hotel later that night, it just blew me away".

Lee looks at me with so much love, it makes my heart flutter "I know, I felt guilty for a second, didn't want to come off as some horny asshole, but later that night in the hotel, it was like wow. It was probably lust in the bathroom mostly, but in the hotel, it was something much deeper. Maybe that is why it felt weird to do it here before, because I look at my parents and see what they have and it is something deeper, they have a bond that they share and they are so comfortable with each other. I wanted that......and I didn't feel that with anyone that came here with me, until now, if that makes any sense?".

We are both talking with our hands, but I reach out and take one of his hands and just hold it and look at him "It totally makes sense to me, Lee".

He gazes back at me "I have found that with you, Ann. You make me totally comfortable and at ease. I think I knew this was different almost from the moment we met".

Leaning over I plant a soft kiss on his lips "I love you, Lee and so grateful we share this and I love how we can sit here and talk about random stuff".

Gesturing with his hands "I know, we seem to get on some weird topics at times, but I love every second" and he touches my face and leans in for another kiss "I love you!".

We are interrupted by Carl as he pushes himself in between us and barks and runs over to the door.

Lee looks at him "I think he needs to go out" and he glances at his watch "Well, now that we are done talking about my ideas on sex and jacking off at my parents house.....", I let out a snort as he continues "Care to go for a run with Carl and I?".

"Sure, that might feel good to get some exercise" and I kiss him one last time, deeply and whispers in his ear "I will help you get over your sex phobia in this house later" and I walk over to my suit case, taking off my clothes in the process, throwing in on the bed and start roaming for my work out clothes.

Lee groans and gets up from the couch "Great, Ann....I can't leave this room in my gym shorts and this", pointing to the front of his jeans. 

I giggle "Just think of ice storms and penguins or something" and I take off my bra right as he is looking and slide on my work out bra and shirt.

He whimpers and sheds his clothes and starts roaming in the closet, finding his work out gear and puts it on "You are not playing fair".

Walking up behind him, I wrap my arms around him and snuggles into his back and he turns around and leans against the closet doors, pulling me between his legs and we meet in a searing kiss and I smirk "Well, look who is playing fair now".

He laughs, the deep rumbling that comes all the way from his stomach "We better go or Carl will have an accident" and he lets me go.

I nod and hurry and get an elastic from my bag, pulling my hair into a pony tail "I know, I'm ready".

We walk out the door and Carl runs down the stairs, excited that we are going somewhere with him.

Lee's mom is in the kitchen making a couple of pies for tomorrow, she looks up and smiles "Going for a run with Carl?".

Carl hears his name and is running around like crazy and Lee goes over and kisses his mom's cheek "Yeah, we will be back in a bit" and he looks at the pies "Looks yummy, mom".

I smile at her "Berry pie is my favorite, I can't wait".

She looks at me "I know it is, Lee told me. Have fun kids".

We head out the door just as a truck pulls in and a younger man jumps out, he runs up to Lee "Hey big brother, so good to see you".

Lee hugs him tight "Good to see you too! I missed you!".

"I missed you too and sorry I didn't come by until today, I was with friends".

Lee has his arm around his brother's shoulder as they turn to me "That's fine, I understand. Please say hi to Ann. Ann, this is my younger brother".

We hug and I smile at him when we break "So nice to meet you, heard a lot about you".

He laughs and it sounds just like Lee's laugh "I bet, but not all stories he might have told you are true! You are all he has talked about since he got to New Zealand, so it is nice to finally meet you. Are you guys going for a run?".

Lee nods "Yeah, Carl needs to use some energy and Mom is making pie, so I need to counter that by running today and tomorrow".

His brother grins "We never starve in this house, do we?".

"Nope! See you in a bit".

I wave and turn towards the barn and start walking, Lee'r brother looks at Lee and mouths "She is gorgeous, man" and Lee gets a goofy grin on his face "I know!" and he walks down to catch up.

Lee points "Let's run past the barn and in the fields over there, there is a nice path along the fence and we can run thru the trees". 

We start slow and Carl is happily running ahead of us and we both see him all of a sudden take off and soon after, he yelps and howls loudly. My eyes go wide and I look at Lee and he speeds of towards the sound and I follow, hearing Lee yell "Ohh, fucking hell!!".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning.........

I follow Lee's voice "Lee, what is going on?.

He calls back " Shit! Hurry over here!" and I hear him speak to Carl "So sorry buddy! Hang in there, we will help you".

I come upon the saddest scene, Lee is kneeling by Carl, who is standing rather stiff and wide eyed with his entire snout and front of his face, covered in porcupine quills! I run over and kneel next to Lee, who looks at me with concern in his eyes "I guess he thought the porcupine would be his friend. Poor Carl!" and our eyes meet and we both bust out laughing at the bizarre situation.

I reach over and pet Carl's head "Ohh buddy, he is not your friend. Lee, we have to get him to a vet".

"I know, we usually use Dr. Peterson, but I don't know if he is still open".

"Well, then we will have to find an emergency vet. I am sure it hurts like hell".

Lee looks at Carl with worry "I am sure it does. Let me carry him back to the house. Can you run up and get the truck keys, my wallet and phone, they are in my leather jacket?".

I get up and touch Lee's shoulder "Sure, I'll hurry. See you up there" and I take off running towards the house.

Reaching the house, I knock on the sliding door to the kitchen, Lee's mom comes over and opens it "Oh Ann, you don't have to knock when you are here" and she sees the worry in my eyes "What is wrong, where is Lee and Carl?",

I am panting from running and trying to catch my breath "Carl got too close to a porcupine, his face is covered with quills. Lee asked me to go get the truck keys and his wallet so we can run Carl to a vet".

She smiles "I'm sorry, but that dog is something else....kind of reminds me of Lee when he was younger, always getting into stuff. Go get Lee's wallet, I'll call Dr. Peterson and see if they are still there, if not, I have his cell, he is an old friend of ours".

"Thanks".

I run upstairs and find Lee's wallet and cellphone and grab my own as well. I come back down stairs as his mom hangs up the phone "Thanks so much, they will be right there".

She turns to me and hands me the keys to the truck "They are still there, so go as soon as Lee gets here".

"Thank you! Poor Carl" and I got back outside and see Lee coming around the corner with Carl in his arms and his dad behind him, trying to keep up.

Lee looks at me and I hold up the keys "Your mom called Dr. Peterson and they are waiting for us".

His dad runs over and opens the extended cab in the truck. Lee gently puts Carl in there and turns to me "Can you sit back there with him, so I can drive? It will be faster since I know where we are going."

I nod and get in with a very miserable looking Carl. He looks at me and whines a little, I pet him on the back of his head and neck, trying to avoid all the quills sticking out of him.

Lee jumps in the front and rolls down the window and his dad leans in "Are you going to be ok?".

"Yeah, thanks dad. We'll call once we know what is going on".

Lee speeds out of the driveway and towards the vet's office. He glances back at us "How is he doing?".

"Okay, I guess......how would would you feel if you had your face covered in nasty quills?".

"I know. I am hurrying buddy".

We make it to the vet's office in 10 minutes and Lee opens the door and lifts Carl into his arms- he has taken off his long sleeve jacket, so he is only wearing his tank top, his biceps bulging as he carries Carl towards the door.

I run ahead and open the door and Lee brings Carl in "Hi! My mom just called and we are here with Carl, who tried to make friends with a porcupine".

The receptionist smiles "Yes, right this way please" and she takes us to an exam room.

Petting Carl's head, I touch Lee's arm "I think you can set him down"  and he does and Carl sits down and looks at us with the saddest eyes.

The vet comes in and Lee hugs him "Hey, good to see you, Lee, but I wish it wasn't under these circumstances" and he shakes my hand "You must be Ann, I'm Mike Peterson and it is so nice to meet you. You were all Lee's dad talked about after they got home from visiting in New Zealand". He nods towards Lee "His folks are very fond of you already". 

Mike turns his attention to Carl "So he decided to make friends with a pokey critter, huh?".

Lee sighs "He is not the smartest one and we were out running and he took off".

Mike kneels down to listen to Carl's lungs and looks at his gums and takes his temperature "Well, it happens quite a bit around here and hopefully Carl will remember and not do it again. He is in some pain and we need to get those nasty quills out and give him antibiotics". He looks at his watch "I tell you what, leave him here and we will put him under, removed the quills and clean him up".

Lee looks at Mike "So can we get him later today? We don't want to ruin your holiday tomorrow".

"I would like to keep him overnight to make sure he does ok......I'll call you after he wakes up. And don't worry about it being Thanksgiving, so goes the life of a vet sometimes. Glad my house is right next door, it helps".

Lee looks concerned "Are you going to do it right now? Can we stay?". He glances at me and I nod.

Mike goes over to get stuff out of a cabinet "Sure, as long as you don't pass out on me. You can in fact help, those quills are a pain to get out".

Carl is quickly sedated and the 3 of us gather around him, Lee is holding the bowl for the quills since he claims he is too clumsy with tweezers. Mike and I are removing quills as fast as we can, being carefully to get the entire quill out or it will cause infection.

Mike looks at me "You are pretty good with those".

Lee snorts "She uses tweezers everyday to handle diamonds and other precious stones. She has eyes like hawk".

"Oh yeah, interesting".

We spent over an hour bend over Carl and finally all the quills are gone. Mike washes Carl's face with antiseptic and gives him a shot of antibiotics.

Lee and I are sitting on the floor in the vet's office, looking at Carl and waiting for him to wake up. Lee takes my hand and plants kisses on my knuckles and leans over to steal a kiss. "Well, not my idea of how I was going to spent our first day together".

I snuggle up next to him and put my head on his shoulder "It's ok...I just feel so bad for Carl right now".

He leans over to pet the dog and Carl moves and lifts his head, looking at us with droopy eyes "Hey buddy, feel better?".

Carl tries to get up, but is still a little wobbly on his feet, we get up and I hold his head and Lee stands with Carl between his legs, to support him. He slowly comes out of it and when he is able to walk without falling over, we put him in a kennel and Mike promises he will call if anything changes.

We walk out to the truck and Lee looks at me "Hungry?".

"Yeah, I am actually starving".

He hands me his phone "Text my mom and tell her we will eat on the way home and that Carl is ok. I am going to take you to my favorite BBQ place in town".

"Ok" and I tap away on his phone as soon as we get in the car. "Done" and I put the phone down, but pick it back up when it dings "Well, she is asking if we can get it to go and order fro the rest of the family too, everyone is over".

Lee glances at me "We can do that, I guess.....I was hoping to take you on a hot date".

I pat his arm "You can take me on a hot date another day or we can have a hot date in our room after dinner".

He smirks "I am all for that".

We pick up a lot of food and enjoy a yummy dinner with Lee's entire family. There is a lot of laughter and love around the table and Lee looks at me once in a while and smiles his big, beautiful smile. Everyone hangs around for a while, I can see why Lee loves to come here, his family is so close and really support and love each other.

Lee yawns, he has his arm casually around my shoulder and I am resting my hand on his thigh. I look at him and lean over "Jet lag is hitting, huh?".

"Yeah, maybe I need to call it" and he scoots his chair out from the dinner table "Sorry guys, but I am about to drop" and he gets up, reaching for my hand "We'll see you tomorrow".

I look around the table "Goodnight" and we head up the stairs.

As soon as we are behind the closed door, Lee drags me to the bed and pushes me down on it. He is hovering over me and finally close the distance between us as he lays down on top of me and devour my mouth with his. I wrap my legs around him and feel his arousal growing thru his gym shorts and I moan into his mouth "I thought you were tired".

He is grinding his hips against mine and I feel my wetness pool as I feel how hard he is getting. He looks at me "I am a great actor, remember".

I move my hands under his tank top and up his back, enjoying the feel of his skin under my fingers and I know he loves when I scratch him with my finger nails. I look at him "Lee, I really want and need a shower, we never changed after our short run and the entire vet ordeal with Carl".

He buries his head in the crook of my neck, kissing my ear and down my jaw line and he whispers in my ear "I have a better idea, how about we fill that giant tub in there?".

Throwing my head back to give him more access to the delicate skin on my neck, which he immediately attacks, placing kisses and licking right under my jaw. I arch my back and grabbing at his shoulders as he snakes one hand under my shirt and bra, rubbing my breast. His other hand moves thru my hair to grab my head, forcing me towards his hungry mouth. I move my hands from his shoulders, roaming them thru his hair and finally placing them on either side of his face as we continue to let our tongues duel for control.

We need to come up for air and I lock eyes with him "Sure, but wont it disturb everyone downstairs?".

He reluctantly gets up from me and gives me a hand, so I can get up too "Nope, this room is above the garage and the tub sits in the very corner, away from the kitchen. They did it that way so whoever was here had privacy".

We walk to the bathroom and he turns on the tub "This will fill in no time, some sort of magic quick filler thing my dad was excited about. They even had to reinforce the floor to make sure it could hold the filled tub".

"That thing is huge".

"I know, they had it custom made and the kids love it since it like a pool for them" and he opens the cabinet next to it "I think there is some bath oil or something in here" and gestures with his hand "pick something, I have no freaking idea". He roams for a lighter in the drawer by the sink and lights the pillar candles sitting in the corner by the tub.

I look and find some french lavender and pour some under the running water "This should be nice, might make you sleepy" and I look at the big windows by the tub "I assume you can't see thru them from the outside or we might scare some people to death in a minute".

Lee is stripping his clothes off, throwing it on the floor " No, you can't see in, so no worries, besides nobody is out there right now except maybe that damn porcupine that got Carl earlier" and he steps in the water, sitting down with a sigh, his back against the contoured side of the tub. He looks at me "Are you going to join me or just enjoy the view?"

Shaking my head, that boy will never be neat, I removed my clothes and he holds out his hand to help me in and I sit down between his legs and rest my back against his chest. He wraps his arms around me and I lean back and close my eyes "This is pure heaven, Lee".

"Hmm....I know and I wont get sleepy with you naked like this" and we sit for a few minutes until Lee reaches over to turn the water off since the tub is full. 

I snuggle into his chest and enjoy having his arms wrapped around me, I kiss his upper arm and we let the warm water and pure silence drain all the stress from earlier away.

He starts to moves his hands and let them glide effortless over my wet skin, finally taking my breasts in each hand, gently kneading them and rubbing his thumbs over my nipples, making them hard and sending jolts of pleasure thru my body. He kisses my neck and down my right shoulder, playfully biting down and nibbling on my collar bone and whispering in my ear "god you are beautiful, babe".

His rock hard cock is against my back and I turn slightly so we can meet in a heated kiss and I reach one hand down and wrap my fingers around him, gliding up and down his shaft, making sure to trace a finger around the ridge of his head and he bucks his hips and moan in anticipation. I smile into his mouth and return his lustful gaze "I missed this".

Lee swirls his tongue in my mouth, trying to wrap it around mine and he growls as I continue to stroke him "Careful...or this party will be over too soon, remember we haven't done this for 22 days".

I lift an eyebrow at him "You are keeping count?".

He grins "Oh yeah....and do you know how many times I have jacked off in the shower those past 22 days while thinking about being buried deep inside you?".

"oh god, Lee.....I told you not to mention that, it is such a turn on for me........picturing you in the shower, doing this to yourself".

I stroke him faster and kiss him deeper and he moves one hand, stroking my inner thigh before going between my legs, lightly playing with my folds and touching me ever so slightly, causing me to push my hips into his hand, wanting more. I arch my back and whimper "Lee, stop teasing....just touch me already".

"A little demanding aren't we?"

"Yes, I want you to fuck me".

He grits his teeth as I increase the speed of my hand wrapped around his cock and he gently removes my hand, kissing me and mumbling "Babe, you gotta stop or I wont be able to do that. But let me take care of you first". He finally plunges his index and middle finger deep inside of me and covers my mouth with his to muffle the loud moan escaping from my lips as he starts to move in and out of me. 

I am hanging on for dear life, with one arm wrapped around his neck and the other hand on his jaw and ear, keeping his mouth as close to mine as possible. I am sitting sideways in his lap, my thighs wide apart as he continues his assault with his one hand, while the other arm is wrapped around me, holding me in place at the hip. He know exactly how to move his fingers, alternating his speed and the angle, knowing to brush his thumb over my clit ever so often. I am breathing heavy and my eyes are closed. I feel his hot breath on my ear "You look so hot right now....come for me" and he crooks his fingers inside me and that does it, I feel my entire body curl up and then the orgasm hits me hard and my walls convulse around his fingers and I cry out in pure pleasure "oh god, Lee!". 

Lee holds me close and let me ride it out and he kisses me as a smile creeps up on my face "Holy wow, you really know how to do that".

Our noses are touching and he smiles back "We have had a lot of practice, but it never gets old seeing you come like that".

I switch position and straddle him, but it feels confining and I give him a concerned look "Well, I would like to watch you come now, but I don't know if this will work.....and we don't want to flood the bathroom by splashing water every where".

"No, we don't.....that would be very awkward, having to try to explain to my dad why we flooded the garage.....".

I feel his cock touching my folds and I wiggle my hips and I nip at his ear "Besides, we can't have you slip in the tub, you are still under contract remember".

He gives me a painful look and takes a deep breath when he feels me brushing over his swollen head "Please stop....or I will fuck you right here, right now".

I smirk and grab the edge of the tub, standing up, looking down at him as he runs his hands from my hips down my legs "Fine, but you'll have to catch me first" and I splash water in his face as I quickly take a towel and run off into the bedroom. 

Lee lets out a yelp as the water hits his face "Ann, you little shit....just wait until I get hold of you" and water goes everywhere as he jumps out of the tub, grabbing a towel and trying to dry off as he runs in the room, his rumbling laughter vibrating off the walls. He catches up really quick and grabs me around the waist with his strong hands.

I let out a loud yelp "Lee!" and collapses into a giggle fit as he tickles my sides and we both land on the bed.

He quickly covers me with his large frame and we lock eyes, his is dark with arousal, but I see the love too as he closes the distance and captures my lips in a searing kiss. He runs his fingers thru my hair, careful not to pull since it is slightly tangled from being wet and he cups my face with his other, running his index finger along my jaw line.

Opening my thighs, I wrap my legs around his butt, pulling closer and he thrust his hips and I moan as he hard cock slides over my folds and clit. I bite my lower lip and look at him "are you finally going to make good on your promise to fuck me senseless?".

Lee wiggles an eyebrow "Not quite yet....patience Ann" and he kisses me again.

I groan in frustration, but that turns in to a long moan as he trails kisses all the way down my body, making sure to suck on each breast and I try not to giggle when he kisses over my stomach and he mumbles in between "I am going to worship your body since I know the fucking wont last very long tonight".

He runs his hands over my body, touching where his tongue just was and I wither in pleasure as he dips his head between my legs and strokes me with his tongue up and down a few times. "Ohh Lee" escapes my lips and he starts to suck on my clit and I buck when I feel to fingers entering me again. He knows my orgasms are stronger when he has his fingers in me and I know it turns him on when he feels me come.

I am a mess, grabbing his hair with one hand and the sheets with the other. He moves his fingers faster as he licks my clit and it doesn't take long before I orgasm, shuttering and convulsing as the pleasure wash over me and I can't help scream his name "LEE!".

He looks up at me "Shhh, babe".

My eyes are closed and I am trying to recover. I open my eyes and Lee is hovering over me and I smile at him "Sorry, but it was mind blowing".

I run my hands up his arms and biceps and over his shoulders and touch his face with my hand as he dips down to kiss me. I reach down with my other hand and trace my fingers around his cock and he moans as I spread the liquid leaking from the head and we lock eyes as I guide him to my wet folds and he enters me in one fluid stroke. His cock is huge and pleasure washes over my entire body as my walls stretch to accommodate his length.

Lee kisses me deeply and I wrap my legs around him and urge him to move and he grunts in my ear "Fuck you feel good, Ann".

My arms are wrapped around his broad shoulders and I feel every muscle as he pounds into me. We meet in another searing kiss and I moan into his mouth "Harder Lee, oh god your cock feels so good".

I can tell he is close, he is grunting with every thrust and I run my hands down his back and grab his butt, digging my nails into his skin. His movements becomes more desperate and I feel his entire body tense up, he pounds into me one last time and comes with a deep groan "Ohh fuck", his hot release flooding me. He collapses on top of me, burying his face in the crook of my neck and trying to catch his breath.

We are both panting, covered in sweat and totally connected and wrapped around each other. I hug him tight and run my hands down his back and he finds the strength to lift his head, his face just an inch from mine and we meet in a tender kiss. He looks at me and shakes his head "Wow......that was....I have no words....I thought we had great sex, but this was.......".

I run my hands thru his messy hair and move a strand from his forehead and kiss him again "I know, Lee......".

He touches my face with his hand "I love you, Ann....more than you will ever know".

"I love you too, Lee" and we kiss again.

He doesn't want to crush me, so he wraps his arms around my shoulders and rolls over, so I end up on top. I put my head on his chest, running my hand over his shoulder and he has one arm draped over my back, lazily tracing patterns and he kisses my forehead. 

We lay like this for a while, no words are needed as we both just cherish this moment and what we just shared.

After a while I prop myself up on one arm, looking at him, seeing the same love reflected back at me and he gently touches my face and I lean down to kiss him.

I sigh "I wish we could stay like this forever, but maybe we should shower and I am also kind of afraid to see the state of the bathroom".

"That might be good and the mess in the bathroom is your fault entirely, you made me jump out of the tub".

"I didn't make you do anything, Lee......you could just have gotten out with dignity and grace. You didn't have to jump out like some mad person".

He laughs and wraps his arms around me "Yes, I did, because you made me horny as fuck".

"It was worth it".

We embrace once again and our lips meet in a deep kiss before I reluctantly get up and he follows suit. We walk to the bathroom to survey the damage and there is water all over the floor and around the tub. I grab some towels from the cabinet and hand two to Lee "Not too bad, I think this will do it".

He takes them "Yeah, glad we don't have to do the walk of shame and try to explain it to anyone" and we mop the water up and hang all the towels to dry-luckily there is a big heated towel rack in there.

Lee steps in the shower and I go get my toiletries from my suitcase. I join him in there and let him wash my hair, he likes to do that and I scrub his back. Stepping out, we get dried off and ready for bed. He hugs me from behind as I finish brushing my teeth "Ready to go to bed with me?". 

I turn around and kiss him "Yes, it will be nice to be in the same bed again" and he takes my hand and we walk back in the bedroom and crawl in bed.

He lays down on his back and I move close to him on my side, our hands intertwined on his chest and I snuggle into his shoulder. He turns over and kisses me "Goodnight, Ann....I am so glad you are here with me".

"Goodnight, Lee.....try to get some sleep and get over the jet lag. I love you".

"I love you more" and he rolls back to his back and I hear his even breathing within a minute, he is out cold. I run my hand over his face and kiss his shoulder, sighing in contently and slowly drifts off to sleep too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shower smut so be warned!

Lee slowly wakes up and rolls over, reaching for a warm body, but that side of the bed is empty. Swinging his feet out of bed, he feels hung over and sits there for a few minutes before trotting to the bathroom. He is naked and the memories of last night comes flooding back when he enters the bathroom, seeing clothes on the floor and lacey underwear laying by the sink, leaving a smile on his face. 

Washing his hands, he glances in the mirror and sees a very bad case of bed hair. He shrugs and splashes some water on his face and proceeds to find some clothes to throw on.

He stumbles down the stairs and into the kitchen, his mom is at the sink, peeling potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner later. She looks up and smiles "Goodmorning".

Lee goes over and kisses her cheek "Morning mom".

"Did you catch up on some sleep?".

He groans and goes over to the coffee pot and pours himself a big cup, grabs it and sits down on one of the bar stools by the kitchen counter "Yeah, but I feel like I slept forever".

"Well, it is almost 10am and Ann said you didn't even stir when she got up".

Taking a sip of coffee, he looks at his mom "Where is she?".

"She went riding with your father, he wanted to check some fence posts. Lee, I know you already know this, but she is wonderful".

He smiles and his eyes light up "I know, Mom.....I never thought it could be like this, well I know it could be, because I see you and dad, but I actually never thought I would find it".

"Well, you sure tried...and some of them were nice and all very pretty girls, but I would look at you with them here and you almost didn't seem like yourself. You acted uptight and uncomfortable, I didn't see you relax and that is unlike you, you are pretty easy going. And I see you with Ann and you are just totally relaxed, happy and comfortable, like the son I know and love. Plus it doesn't hurt that you guys seem to have fun together and enjoy each other ".

Lee looks at her "What do you mean?".

His mom comes over and leans on the counter "I don't want to embarrass you, but we heard the ruckus upstairs last night, the running, laughter and squealing followed by other noises that I wont repeat".

He turns red and looks at his coffee, running a hand over his face "Shit! Everyone?".

His mom laughs and touches his arm " No, just your sister and I, everyone else had gone to the barn to say goodnight to the horses. Honey, it is ok... and don't blush.....I am thrilled you guys have fun together and it is perfectly normal to have sex. I am glad you feel like having it with her in this house".

"What are you talking about?".

She looks him in the eyes "Lee, remember I am your mother and I know you pretty well.....and a couple of your previous girl friends confided in me while you guys were here, they were pretty frustrated".

He gestures with his hands "I know it was a weird, but I just couldn't.....".

She smiles at him "Well, you obviously don't have that problem anymore".

Lee fiddles with the coffee mug "Please don't tell Ann.....I don't want her to feel awkward about it".

"Oh I wont, but I just want you to know that I am so happy you have finally found someone that loves you the way she loves you......she seems to just let you be who you are".

"She does and doesn't try to change me. I love that she can look like a million bucks, in high heels and a power suit in her professional life and then come home and throw on sweats and a tank top and be goofy and silly with me".

"Lee, I think Ann would be a knock out no matter what she wears".

"I know, but you get what I am saying.....she is just so down to earth and we have the best discussions about things that interests us".

His mom gets a serious look on her face "It is none of my business, but are we going to have a wedding sometime?".

Lee smiles "I hope so, I just need to ask her dad again and then figure out how to pop the question".

"You already asked her dad's permission?".

"Technically no, but when he surprised us with his visit, he pretty much told me that he had a diamond in his vault just waiting if I need it. It is a diamond he bought for Ann's mom and it means a lot to both of them". 

"That is really sweet, Lee. So you like her dad?".

"Yeah, he is great and I can see why she is the way she is.....he is just as kind, thoughtful and interested in the world".

"Well, we sure have grown very fond of her quickly. I will never forget when we saw her in New Zealand for the first time with you, it was very obvious this was different and that you loved her like you have never loved anyone before".

He looks at his mom "I do".

"You deserve this so much and I am so happy you found her".

"Me too, mom".

................................................................................................

I am walking back from the barn, cheeks flushed and feeling happy. I just spent an hour on the back of a beautiful horse and had a blast checking fences with Lee's dad and talking to him. I could get use to hanging out here with his family.

I wonder if Lee is up yet and I open the sliding door to the kitchen and find him sitting at the bar talking to his mom, munching on some eggs and bacon. His hair is adorable messy and he is wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants. He looks up and flashes me a big smile and I walk over, into his arms and a warm hug, when we pull apart, we lock eyes and he plants a couple of soft kisses on my mouth "Hey, babe....I missed you when I woke up".

"I'm sorry, but you were pretty much dead, so I thought I should leave you to rest and get over the jet lag, it is brutal when you return from New Zealand".

I walk around the bar and over to get some coffee and his mom looks at me "Did you have a great time riding?".

"It was great, that horse is majestic and I had a great time talking to your husband".

"Did you ride El Shaklan then?".

I nod "He is beautiful and quite spirited, but we got along great".

Lee pipes up "You rode the gray stallion? You are crazy, he tries to buck me off or take off whenever I have attempted to ride him".

Holding the coffee pot up and looking at Lee, he nods " He did just fine. Remember horses can sense your fear".

"I'm not scared of him".

"Even if you are uncomfortable, they can sense that".

He shrugs "Yeah, probably a little. Where is my dad by the way? Did he not come in with you?".

I shake my head "No, I was about to tell you......he went to get Carl. Mike called his cell and Carl can go home. He tried our cell phones, but mine if off and upstairs".

"So is mine, but I feel bad...I could have gotten him and now dad has to pay the bill too".

Lee's mom looks at him "Lee, I think we will live if we pay Carl's vet bill"

"I know mom, but it is the principle of it".

"It will be fine, but your dad can sent you the bill if it makes you feel better".

She puts the potatoes in the pot and I look at her "Can I help with anything for dinner?".

She wipes her hands in her apron and smiles "I don't think so, Ann, but thanks for asking. The boys are in charge of deep frying the turkey later and everything else is ready. Just relax and enjoy the day".

Lee looks at me and smiles "That works for me. Want to hang out on the couch for a few hours and then we can go for a run before dinner?".

"Sure, I need to check emails and catch up on a few things".

He gets up from the bar stool "Me too and I should probably at least glance at the upcoming script, so I can think about it over the next month and then I have 10 books I would like to read".

A few minutes later we are planted on the big couch in the great room. I am sitting on the chaise end and my phone, laptop and iPad within reach.

Lee has he head right next to me with a pillow and he long frame stretched out on the other part of the couch. He has his phone, script and a couple of books. He is currently looking at his phone. I am checking messages on mine and see the flash on his goes off "Did you just take a selfie?".

"Yeah, I should post something on Twitter and wish people Happy Thanksgiving".

"Awww, look what Tami and Rich sent to us" and I show him my phone with a picture of the two lovebirds, each holding a chicken drumstick with their faces close together and with the caption "Happy Thanksgiving to our Yankee Friends! Love you!".

He laughs "They are dorks like us, we will have to sent them a picture later".

I touch his face without even thinking about it and play with his hair "They are so cute and in love".

Lee looks up at me "So are we".

Leaning down I kiss him "I know, I do love you".

"I love you too, Ann".

He taps on his phone and then puts it down, he grabs his script and starts reading. I am still playing with his hair and scrolling thru my iPad with my other hand, checking emails and I sit up a little straighter when a bunch of pictures come up "Holy crap!".

Lee looks up at me "What?".

I hold the iPad over his head so he can see "Look at Tami's ring, the jeweler just sent me those".

"Wow, it turned out great. So when is Richard going to ask her?".

"I have no idea, maybe over Christmas.....I think his parents are coming to visit before they wrap for the holidays and they are all flying back to England to be with his family. It turned out gorgeous, that sapphire is stunning, she better love it".

"I am sure she will, Ann. You designed it and he is asking her". 

The sliding door opens and Lee's mom comes in followed by Carl, who pushes her aside and runs over to the couch, barking and trying to jump up. Lee's dad comes in behind and looks at us "He is a good as new and very excited to come home".

Lee swings his long legs out and sits up to pet Carl and looks at his dad "Thanks for getting him, dad. What do I owe you?".

"Nothing.......Mike only charged $75 for the overnight stay and Carl's meds. He said since Ann did half the work, he wasn't going to charge you for that".

Carl is whining and pawing at Lee's leg and before we know it, Carl leaps up on the couch, into Lee's lap and tries to get to me and plants his back paw right on top of his owner's crotch. Lee buckles over, holding himself and lets out a groan "Oh my hell".

I grab Carl by the collar and get off the couch with him "Carl, down! Look what you did!" and I kneel by Lee and grab his face "Are you ok? Did he get you?". Carl is standing right by us, wagging his tail and looking excited.

I hear chuckles coming from the sliding door, where Lee's parents are standing and then his dad roars out with laughter, sounding just like Lee when he can't hold it in any longer. I smile at them over Lee's shoulder, trying not to laugh and they both walk towards the other part of the house, giving us some privacy to deal with this health crisis. 

His mom calls out "Carl, come here buddy! You better come with us for a bit".

Lee glares in their direction "Yeah very funny mom and dad".

He looks at me and can see the laughter in my eyes and the corner of his mouth twitches and soon he is laughing too and we meet in a sweet kiss. Looking into his eyes "No, really, are you ok?"

Slowly letting go of his crotch, he straightens up "I think so, no permanent damage done".

I get a wicked grin on my face and run my hands up his sweat pants covered thighs "Want me to check?" and I lean in, my hot breath on his ear "Or want me to kiss it better?".

He gives me a look full of lust and growls into my mouth "NO! That would not be a good idea...we are out here in the open".

Sliding my hands up to his crotch, I feel him go hard under my fingers and I return the kiss, making sure it is wet and sloppy, dragging my tongue over his lower lip. "Ok, just making sure you are ok".

He gives me a frustrated look and lays back down on the couch, covering himself with a book and he looks at me "You are evil, woman....now I have hard on".

I smirk "Well, at least you know things still work like they are suppose to" and I crawl back to my previous spot and lean down to kiss him again. We settle back, he is reading and I am scrolling thru emails, playing with his soft hair and gently touching his forehead.

Looking thru Twitter I smile when I see what Lee posted: "Happy Thanksgiving! Being grateful and lazy today" and there is the picture of the top of his face, peaking up from the script and his lovely bed hair. If you look close you can see my pink sweat pants and the very corner of my iPad cover and my thumb. I shrug and wonder how long it will take before it will blow up Twitter. Lee is not too aware of the stuff going on about him online and I think he pretty much doesn't care anyway, but both Tami and I are very aware of the people out there and what they are saying about Lee and Richard. Most are very nice, supportive and just enjoy their careers and good looks, but you do get a few crazies that think they own them and know everything about them.

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZ" and I look down in surprise and almost giggle. Lee is out cold, his script resting on his chest and he looks totally peaceful and cute. I run my hand over his face and he mumbles something and grabs my hand, holding it close to his face as he snuggles his cheek next to it. I sigh and continue to try and do what I need to do with my left hand currently being held hostage by him, but I don't have the heart to pull it away from him.

I sit like that for almost an hour and look up when the sliding door opens and Lee's sister comes in and she smiles at the sight before her "Awww, look at you two and look how cute he is. Happy Thanksgiving!".

" Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I know, I don't have the heart to wake him up, jet lag after New Zealand is tough".

"How long have you been without one hand?".

"Oh, for about an hour or so".

She sits down in one of the comfy chairs across from the couch "You really love him, don't you?".

"Yes! I guess I never thought I would get a second chance......I am sure Lee told you what happened to me last time I was so in love?".

She nods "He did, he was freaked out about quickly he fell in love with you, so I spent some time on the phone with him, telling him it will be okay and things will work out the way they are suppose to. And seeing you guys here together, it warms my heart, I have never seen Lee so happy and comfortable with anyone before"

I smile at her and look on my phone "He is wonderful! By the way, did you see Twitter today?".

She pulls out her phone "Yeah, I saw his dorky selfie".

Scrolling thru, I sigh "I think he blew up Twitter again".

She nods her head and reads "OMG, did you guys see Lee's selfie?", "He is so cute, makes me want to do things to him", she rolls her eyes and continues "Where is this at?", "Is that someone's leg by his head?", "It looks like it, it is pink", "Look up in the corner, is that someone's thumb?", "Sure looks like it, nice manicured nail", "Girlfriend perhaps?" "Lee doesn't have a girlfriend", "We don't know that", "Yes, we do, because he hasn't said anything", "Well, he has been in New Zealand, maybe he met a Kiwi?", "Just because he hasn't said...." and she pauses and looks at me "This is crazy, isn't it?".

"No, not really, that is just how it is and this is nothing compared to what Orlando has to deal with and it might get as bad for Lee once these movies come out".

"That's right, I forgot you are more or less related to Orlando". 

"We are close and I feel really bad for him, Miranda and the rest of his family. He can't go get gas or to the grocery store in LA without being followed and have his picture taken".

"How does he even deal with that?".

"I think he is use to it now, but it drives me crazy.....trying to go to dinner with him is a nightmare. I can see why Lee loves to come here, besides you guys are all awesome, he can be left alone".

She smiles "We love when he comes home and I don't think New York is as bad and when he is not playing a character, he can grow a beard and look like a bum".

"Not being recognized is always a nice thing".

"It is, but it looks like someone recognized him yesterday when he picked you up.....someone name Debbie tweeted a picture of him with her and another girl".

I scroll on my phone "Yeah, they were nice and I took that picture".

"Listen to what people are saying about that" and she looks at her phone " When was this and where?", "He looks so hot", "What was he doing there?".

I read her replies " In the airport and I wont say where, but in TX", "He was waiting for his girlfriend", "He was so nice and kind".

She looks at me and continues to read "What?", "Did you guys see her, did you get a picture?", "How do you know it wasn't just his friend?", "Lee doesn't have a girlfriend".

Scrolling down I keep reading "He introduced her as his girlfriend", "No picture, that would be so rude", "She was nice and gorgeous", "He was so cute waiting for her and they looked so in love".

His sister looks at me "Well, she seems nice".

I talk with my hands "She was, they were very respectful and Lee was so sweet to them".

"Does it bother you?".

"No.....well, sometimes the messages they sent to Lee does....but I also know this is a part that comes with the job. I have seen Orlando deal with it for so many years now and you just have to learn to live with it".

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!".

We look at each other and I just burst out laughing and so does his sister. Lee stirs, still holding my hand and he stretches and slowly opens his eyes "What...is so funny?". His eyes are still half closed and he looks around "Oh hi sis" and he bends his neck, looking up at me " What are you guys laughing about?".

She looks at him "Oh, just you and your snoring! And we were talking about how you broke Twitter again.....that selfie got people talking".

He rubs his face, yawns and swings his long legs from the couch, slowly sitting up, still holding on to my hand and I have to scoot next to him if I want to keep my hand. He grabs his phone and scrolls thru "I guess it did, but whatever....people are going to say what they want to say".

I chime in "Well, they claim you don't have a girlfriend because you have failed to announce it to the world".

"I know, it is such a balance to know what to say and not to say".

I attempt to talk with my hands, but realize one is still being held for ransom, so one hand will have to do "But I think that is what you are so good at, Lee. You avoid talking about yourself and your private life, you promote whatever it is you are promoting and leave the rest and don't care if that gets people talking".

His sister looks at us "Uhm...I think you can let go of her hand, I don't thinks she is going anywhere".

He looks at our hands and smiles at me "Sorry, babe......" and he leans over and places a soft kiss on my lips and finally lets go of my hand, but puts his arm around me instead and I snuggle into him.

"You guys are too adorable for words".

Lee grins and looks at me, conveying all his love with out a word. 

She smiles at us "So how is Carl today, is he home yet?".

Lee gestures with his hand :Yeah, dad brought him home a while ago, but then mom and dad took him for a walk with their dog......he was acting crazy and uhmm...." and he looks down.

"He did what? Are you blushing big brother?".

I interrupt "Well, lets just say Carl jumped up and planted his paw along with most of his weight on the crown jewels".

She lets out a giggle "Sorry, it is not funny, but it kind of is....".

I'm trying not to laugh too and Lee looks like he wants to crawl under a rock, but we all forget about it when the sliding door opens and his parents, Carl and their dog, Sam plus nieces, a nephew and brother in law come in. Soon the main room is filled with laughter, chatter, feet and paws hustling around.

Lee looks at me "Still want to get that run in before we stuff ourselves half to death?".

"Yeah, that might be a good idea" and we get up and walk upstairs.

We enter our room and Lee is talking over his shoulder "I know you are already more or less dressed for the run, but grab your other clothes and we can shower in the barn....less chance of us traumatizing anyone".

I reach out for his arm to turn him around "What on earth are you talking about?".

He gives me a sheepish look "I don't want you to feel bad, but my mom and sister heard us last night and I mean all of it!".

I look totally mortified "You are kidding, right?".

"I'm afraid not".

"Awesome....how can I ever look them in the eye again?".

"Well, you just talked to my sister.......it is not a big deal, but I am just glad the kids didn't hear, you know".

"I know, Lee" and I got over to my suitcase "What are you wearing to dinner, how formal is the Pace Thanksgiving dinner?".

"Not very, I was just going to throw on some jeans and a nicer t-shirt or something".

"That works" and I pull out some clothes and put on my running shoes. "Do we need towels?".

He strips down to his underwear and I can't help but go over and wrap my arms around his waist and I kiss his naked back. I run my hands over his abs and play with the top of his waistband, running my fingers thru the hair peaking out. He arches into me and a moan escapes his lips "What are you doing, Ann? And no, there are towels over there".

"Nothing, just making sure you are okay after Carl tried to injure the goods" and I playfully snake my hand in his underwear and wrap my fingers around his growing erection. "Have I told you how much I love this".

"Fuck, you gotta stop or we will never make it out of here and we will both have gained 20 lbs. before Christmas".

I rub him one last time and let go "We can't have that, I really need to loose 10".

Lee whips around and gives me a serious look "What? No, you don't!".

"Yeah, I think I am getting fat".

He takes my hand and pulls me over to the bed and make me sit down, he puts his hands on either side of my face and locks eyes with me "You are not fat and never will be, so stop it right now! Do you hear me? You are beautiful the way you are and I like you with some meat on those bones".

I look at him wide eyed and a little confused "Woaw.....relax, Lee. Why are you so freaked out about this? It was just a comment, but I kind think I need to loose a few".

"And I am telling you, you don't! I am sorry if I sound freaked out, but I have dated a couple of girls that were obsessed and it was bad. I don't understand you women and how obsessed you are about your weight. It is funny, because if you ask most guys they would rather have someone with a little meat than some skeleton with skin".

I smile at him "I get it, Lee.....I guess I just get a little insecure once in a while. I know I say it doesn't bother me, but sometimes the messages you get on Twitter gets to me and I wonder if someone will sent something to you and you will find that more attractive than me" and I look down at my hands "And yes, I know it is stupid and it has nothing to do with you, it is all about me ".

He looks a little hurt and kneels by me, looking very serious at me "Yes, Ann, that is stupid! I LOVE you and want to be with you, nobody else. You are gorgeous, everyone can see that.......I see how other men look at you when we are out, it makes me jealous and proud at the same time. Jealous that they are even looking at you that way, but proud because I know you are mine".

Biting my lower lip and look back at him "Yes, I am yours, Lee and always will be, as long as you want me".

He closes the distance and kisses me deeply and mumbles into my mouth "I will always want you, babe". He wraps his arms around me and hugs me tight "Now lets go for that run before I end up taking all you clothes off right here and make love to you".

We make it out of the house and go for a nice run. We leave Carl home, don't want to end up at the vet's again this afternoon. I know Lee has to run slower with me, since his legs are about twice as long, but he has assured me he doesn't mind. I look over in the distance and see the dark clouds "Ohh, we might get rain". And a few minutes pass and the sky darkens and all of the sudden the heavens open up and it starts to just pour. We keep running, but it is hard to actually see and by the time we make it back to the barn, we are both soaked. Getting in the barn for cover, I look at Lee and he looks like a giant, drowned giraffe, his hair plastered to his head. We pet a few horse heads on the way to the bathroom, they sought refuge inside too.

Stepping in to the cozy fireplace room in the barn, Lee turns on the gas fireplace and tries to warm his hands "It got cold fast".

I am trying to yank his shirt off and get it half way up his tall torso, but run into height issues, so I end up pulling his shorts down along with his underwear "Well, you are soaking wet, so take all this off and get under the hot water". I walk in the bathroom and turn on the shower, leaving him to kick off his running shoes, socks and finish removing his shirt.

Lee steps in the bathroom and tosses all the wet clothes in a pile on the floor, He looks at me "Someone is way overdressed" and comes over and pulls off my shirt and I try to get my pants off along with my socks and shoes. He is naked and I am still wearing my panties and bra, both clinging to my wet body and he runs his hands over my body, up the sides and pulls me in for a kiss "I wish you could see yourself right now, how hot you look with your wet underwear, leaving nothing to the imagination".

I give into the kiss and feel his hot, hard erection on my stomach and I moan into his mouth "Well, at least one of your body parts is warming up".

Growling he pulls my bra over my head with one hand and yanks my panties down over my rear with the other hand, so they fall to the floor and I can step out of them. He leans against the wall and pulls me in between his legs. I wrap my arms around him, enjoying the feel of his wet skin and we meet in a searing kiss. I open my mouth and let his tongue in and we are caught in waves of passion. I feel him rock hard against my stomach and reach down and wrap my hand around him. He pushes into my hand and I tighten my grip on him, starting to slowly moving my hand up and down. His hands are busy too and he grabs my behind with both, cupping my cheeks and pulls me close, growling into my mouth "This is why I don't want you to loose weight, I love to have something to play with, babe".

I shiver from still being cold and feel goosebumps all over. Lee lowers his mouth and suck on each of my peaked nipples, sending jolts of pleasure thru my body and I push my hips into him. He looks at me "We better get you warmed up, don't want you to catch a cold" and he grabs my hand and walk in the shower with me. We both step under the warm water and it feels so good. It is one of those big shower heads that hangs from the ceiling and resemble a good rain shower. The walk in shower is separated from the rest of the bathroom with a glass block wall, enclosing it enough to keep the heat and steam in.

Lee quickly washes his hair and then makes me turn around, so he can wash mine. I reach for the soap and lather up and turn my attention to Lee and lather him up as far as I can reach and let him do the rest himself. I scrub his back, which I know he loves and can't help but run my hands over his firm ass and over his hips. I snake my hands around to  his chest, making sure to run the tips of my fingers over his nipples and then moving down over his stomach and lower, reaching his erection and I take a firm grip on him with both hands and starts to pump. He arches his back and moans "Fuck!".

I speed up as he reaches behind and grab hold of my behind, pulling me closer. I feel every touch or rub even more due to the water and his wet back against my peaked nipples makes me moan as I continue to stroke him "Is this what you were doing to yourself Lee?".

He is moving his hips, so his back rubs against my nipples and his breath is ragged "Something like that, while I imagined being buried in you and hearing you scream my name".

My entire body is on sensory overload, the wet skin, the warm water, Lee's amazing hands and naked body next to mine. I turn him around and we lock lips as the water cascades over us, getting all the soap off and he bends his knees and grabs my rear, bringing me as close as he can and we both moan when our hips meet and he grinds his into mine. 

I run my hands over his wet back and grab his ass, growing desperate to have him close. Our kissing is out of control and before I know it, he bends down and gets a good hold of my behind and lifts me up and I naturally wrap my legs around his waist. 

We break for air and he looks at me, his eyes dark with arousal "I want you now, Ann" and he leans me against the glass wall. I have my arms wrapped around his shoulder and I moan into his mouth "I want you too, Lee....just fuck me".

He positions himself at my entrance and lock eyes with me as I feel him enter me. I throw my head back against the wall and he leans in to kiss and lick down my throat as his big cock slides all the way in and I whither in pure pleasure "oh god Lee, that feels good".

He is breathing hard and kisses my mouth once more and growls "Fuck, I know babe, but how about this" and he starts thrusting hard and fast, causing us both to cry out "oh fuck yes! Harder Lee" meshes with our moans as he pounds into me.

Slowly down a bit, he looks at me "Can you come like this or do I need to help you?".

I look at him and try to slow my breathing so I can get a word out "I think so, just go a little slower, your pubic bone is hitting about right".

He braces himself against the wall with one hand, while firmly holding my rear with his other as he slows down the thrusting and looks at me "Is this better".

My eyes are closed and I am concentrating on my pelvic region and I tighten my internal muscles and grind my hips against his pubic bone. I loosen my legs a little around his waist, causing me to sink down just a bit and he hits the right spot and I feel my entire body curl up. Lee senses the change in my body and speeds up his thrusting and he thrusts hard again and that does it, I am overcome by a mind shattering orgasm that is made even stronger by having his rock hard cock pound my walls. I claw at his shoulder as my body convulses around him and I scream out "ohhhh Lee! and he follows me over the edge and comes hard, releasing his warmth deep within me as he groans into my ear "ohh fuck yeah".

He thrusts a few more times, dragging the pleasure out and we are completely out of breath and meet in a tender kiss as he hugs me close, still holding me against the wall. He leans his forehead against mine, touching my nose with his and smiles "Holy fuck, that was amazing".

I smile and kiss him again "It was, I can see why you wanted to try the shower".

He looks at me with love and tenderness "I love you, Ann".

I touch his chin with my hand and kiss him "I love you too, Lee".

Hugging each other tight for a moment, I buried my face in his neck and just enjoy being this close with one another. He kisses me again and then he gently slips out of me and I unwrap my legs from around his waist so he can put me back down on the ground. He leans in for yet another kiss "Are you ok?".

"I'm great, but I think we need to shower again".

"I know" and he takes my hand and drags me back under the water. 

We quickly shower again and he turns off the water and I hand him a towel as we step out and get dried off. No words are needed, but gentle touches,  kisses and hugs are exchanged as we get dressed. I clip my hair up and he steps up behind me as I look in the mirror, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tight. We smile at each other in the mirror and he kisses the top of my head "you are beautiful, Ann".  I grab his hands with mine and we just stand there for a moment, feeling grateful we have this together.

Walking back up to the house hand in hand, still not saying much, just exchanging smiles and looks. We encounter most the men in the family on the deck, staring at the deep fryer and making sure the turkey gets cooked just right. Lee's brother looks at us and smiles "You guys are so in love, it is disgusting" and pats Lee on the back "Glad you finally found this".

After hustling around a bit and putting stuff out, we are finally all seated and the Pace family hold hands around the table as Lee's dad offers a prayer of profound gratitude for all they have been given this past year and hopes for blessings of health, happiness and love. Lee is squeezing my hand and gives me a smile as everyone says "Amen".

They have a tradition in their family before everyone digs in, they go around the table and everyone can express their gratitude for their blessings. It is very moving and especially cute to hear Lee's nieces and nephew remember the small things in life. They get to me and Lee is holding my hand under the table and I look around and smile at all of them "First of all, thank you for inviting me in to your home and making me feel like part of the family. I can see why Lee is the way he is, because all of you are the same way, loving, kind and supportive of each other. This year has been filled with adventures and blessings and I am most grateful for having met and fallen in love with this amazing man" and I look at Lee, feeling the tears well up in my eyes "Dang it, I was not going to do this" and he reaches over and wipes one from my cheek.

Lee clears his throat "Well, this might be hard..." and I rub my thumb over his hand that I am holding, offering him support. He looks at his family "I love you all so much and I am so grateful to come home and be with you. You have always loved and supported me". He turns to me and takes a deep breath "Ann, I don't know what to say.......when I left for New Zealand to go film the Hobbit I had no idea my life would change forever. I am so grateful to have found you, to share this with you" and he can't help but close the distance and gives me a tender kiss. 

His family cheers and his mom and sister wipe a few tears and then Lee's nephew pipes up "EWWWW, Uncle Lee, that is gross!" and we all erupt in laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut....so kindly move along if that is not your thing!

About 3 weeks later:

I am still half asleep when I feel his large hand rubbing up my flank and reaching over to stroke my breast. The warmth from his body  is against my back as he spoons me and I snuggle into him and he kisses my ear "Ann, it is time to get up".

Groaning and trying to hide under the sheets, I mumble "Mmm....a few more minutes, Lee...I'm so tired".

He breathes in my ear "No wonder, the way you rode me last night....".

I smile as the memory comes back to me and I roll over to face him and peck him on the lips "Well, it was worth it".

He kisses me back and then wraps one leg around me and rolls over on his back, so I end up on top of him-Lee loves that and we start many mornings like this, me laying my head on his chest and he plays with my hair as we talk about the day and what we have going on or what we want to do. It is a nice change from being in New Zealand, since we would usually have to hurry and get up and rush out the door so he can be on set bright and early, either to shoot or practice etc. We have loved this past few weeks, being in Texas with his family and just hanging out and now we are in LA for a few weeks with my dad to celebrate Christmas. 

I am about to fall asleep again on his chest, but he kisses my forehead and rubs my back "Hey, don't fall asleep again, we need to get up".

Yawning, I prop myself up on one elbow and look into his eyes "I know......so you have a couple of meetings today, including a lunch meeting with your agent?".

"Yeah, I need to start looking beyond the Hobbit and see what might be out there. You are going to lunch with Orlando after you lay some flowers on Brandon's grave, right?".

"Yes, it is a holiday tradition we try to keep........we lay flowers and then go eat at Brandon's favorite restaurant, a sushi joint".

He looks at me "Is it hard for you to do that?".

I think for a minute "Yeah, it is and it might be harder this year, I kind of feel I need to close that chapter in my life at this point".

Lee raises an eyebrow "Why?".

I give him a serious look "I don't want you to take this the wrong way or feel like I am putting some kind of timeline on us, but I think we both know where this is heading..........".

He touches my face "I agree and understand, but don't feel like you have to do it for me".

"Oh, I don't....I just feel like I need to do it for me. I loved him, Lee, but now I love you and it just feels like the right thing to do".

"Whatever you feel you need to do".

I run my hand over his chest "So are we meeting at my dad's store this afternoon? I should be back around 1pm or so".

"Yep, that works and maybe we can finish Christmas shopping".

"Remember that your sister took those pictures of us at Thanksgiving and that is what we are giving my dad.....a portrait he can have on his desk, just like I have given him a new picture every year for who knows how long. We just keep it simple for Christmas, nothing crazy. He usually gives me some books except one year he splurged and bought me a purse".

"I know, but I still need to buy you something and we bought plane tickets for my parents to come back to New Zealand next year. So what do you want for Christmas?".

I shrug my shoulders "I have no idea, what do you want?".

Lee reached down and pinches my butt "I asked you first, miss".

I giggle and wiggle my hips "I know, but I honestly have no idea, don't really need anything".

He sighs "Kind of the same here".

"So maybe we should do nothing?".

Shaking his head, he looks at me "No, that would be boring. So how about we get one thing for each other and it can't be over $50?".

I smile "Ok, that is a deal and we can do our stockings, just filled with candy, oranges and stuff like that".

He plants another kiss on my lips and runs his hands over my naked back.

Sighing in pure contentment, I stretch and make a motion to get up "Hmmm, we better start the day".

Quickly wrapping his long leg over mine, he keeps me trapped for a minute "I guess, but we need to stop sleeping naked because it makes me horny in the morning".

I put my hands on either side of his face "Lee, you are always horny".

He pretends to be offended "I am not!".

"Oh really?".

"That is just what you do to me and being naked certainly doesn't help".

Kissing his mouth and wiggling free from him, I get up and stand next to the bed and reach a hand out to help him up.

I am very aware of his eyes, roaming over my body and he groans "Well, standing naked like that is not helpful either" and he takes my hand and yanks me back down on top of him, quickly rolling me over and pinning me with his body. 

"What are you doing, Lee....we need to get up".

He looks at me and wedges his leg between mine, forcing them apart and I feel his hard cock against me and I can't help but lift my lower body into him and he runs a hand up my thigh and behind to my butt, bringing us even closer. He moves his hips and kiss my neck and down to my breasts "Not anymore, seeing you naked did it, we are going to stay here until I have properly fucked you".

"I can go buy some granny panties and a nightgown if that would help? Maybe that is what you can buy me for Christmas? Get them in some sort of ghastly floral print or something".

He looks at me "I doubt that would put the fire out. I know the clothes would be hiding this" and he runs both hands over my chest, cupping a breast in each hand, gently kneading them and flicking his tongue over my nipples. He moves back up, kissing my collarbone and neck before capturing my lips in a searing kiss and mumbling " But I am not opposed to buying you something to wear, something I can take off with my teeth".

I kiss him back with passion, roaming my hands thru his hair, loving it is a bit longer since he let it grow out a bit. He moves his hips, making sure his hard cock slides over my folds and clit with every move and I moan into his mouth "Mmmmm, Lee, more".

He slowly moves down my body, kissing my skin and making sure to suck on each of my nipples, knowing that it drives me wild. He leaves a wet trail over my stomach and playfully nips my flanks with his teeth. I raise my hips in anticipation and he looks up at me "you are so beautiful, babe".

Withering under him, I push on his head, trying to get him lower and he finally kisses my inner thighs and dips his head between my legs. I arch my back as he runs his tongue over my folds and swirl it around my clit. A loud moan escapes me "Ohh Lee, keep going" and he does until I am a complete mess. I yank at his hair and manage to croak out "Please fuck me, Lee! I want your beautiful cock in me now".

Lee licks me one last time and then agonizingly slow slides back up my body, making sure to touch and feel all the way up. We meet in a searing kiss and I taste myself on his lips. He is hovering above me and I reach down and guide him inside of me and we both moan as he slides all the way in. He gives me a lust filled stare and he starts to thrust, hard and fast and his breath is ragged "Fuck, Ann...you feel so good".

We have done this so many times and he always thinks about me before himself, making sure it always turns out great for me. He slows down his thrusting and locks eyes with me "Come for me babe" and he dips his head down and nbble on my neck and kisses me again. I adjust my hips, so he can go deeper and he presses down with his hips, while thrusting slowly and I clench my internal muscles around him. I forcefully grab his shoulders and close my eyes and it doesn't take long before I feel the familiar tension building in my body.

I throw my head back and start moaning "Mmmmm! Ohhh" and I slide my hands down his back and grab his butt. Lee knows what that means and he speeds up and starts pounding into me with everything he's got and he makes me come, screaming his name "ohh god LEE!". I spasm around his cock and I feel him go even harder and he thrust one last time and groans "Fuck, I'm coming" as he empties everything into me. 

Lee collapses on top of me, we are both panting and sweating. I wrap my arms tightly around him and he buries his face in my neck, he breathes in my ear "damn, that was good".

I smile and turn my head to look at him "You always say that, Lee".

He kisses me gently "I know, but it is the truth. I have had my share of bad sex, so I know when it is good and it is always great with you, babe".

Kissing him back, I lock eyes with him "Isn't sex always great for you men as long as you get off?".

He props himself up on one elbow, not wanting to crush me "maybe if you are an asshole".

That comment makes me giggle and I kiss him again "I love you, Lee".

"I love you too, Ann, but seriously, I don't think it is great if you don't have a good time or have at least one orgasm".

I gently bite his lower lip "Well, I always have a good time because you make sure I do and orgasms are not lacking either".

Lee kisses me again "Good, that is the way it should be".

We are still very much connected and entangled and Lee rolls us over and I lay my head on his chest again and he gently runs his hands over my back. He kisses the top of my head and we stay like that for a while, just enjoying the silence and what we just shared.

I could stay like this all day, but we both have things we need to do. I finally find the strength to untangle myself from him and I slowly get out of bed and stretches. I look at him "We better get going for real".

Lee nods "I know" and rolls out of bed and stands up in all his naked glory, he really is beautiful and you can tell he use to be a swimmer, his strong shoulders and broad chest and that narrow waist. He reaches over to his pile of clothes on the floor and pulls on his underwear, he adjusts the waistband and gives me a smile.

I grab his t-shirt and throws it on, it is drowning me, but I love to wear his clothes around the house "I think you should just wear underwear when we are home, it is a good look for you" and I smack his butt and head towards the kitchen "Coffee?".

"Hey, that is my shirt! and he follows me "Yes, coffee is good".

I walk in the airy kitchen and get the coffee going. He turns on the TV, so we can catch the morning news. I love my condo and it is nice to be here for a bit with Lee since this is home to me. Brandon and I moved in here not long after we met, it was one of his real estate projects, but it appealed to me since it was modern, new, sleek and there is a gym and pool in the building. We had bought it together and I just took over when he died. It holds a lot of sweet memories for me and I have changed it over the years, so it doesn't look like it did when he lived here.

Lee is scrolling thru his phone and I walk over to the fridge "Want breakfast before the gym?".

"Maybe just a yogurt and a banana......I am afraid lunch will be a killer".

We eat and hit the gym for an hour-Lee has battle scenes coming up, so he is trying to get in top shape before he has to swing swords around like a crazy person.

I step out of the shower and Lee comes wandering in from the walk in closet, pulling a t-shirt over his head and zipping up his jeans. He wraps his arms around and squeezes me for a minute "It is so great to be here with you".

Looking up at him and standing up on my toes, I kiss him "I know, Lee".

He slaps my butt "You better get dressed or I will go for round two right here on the sink counter".

I wiggle out of his grip and head to the closet "We don't have time for that right now" and I get dressed for the day.

Standing in the foyer to the condo, Lee takes me in his arms once more and plants a kiss on my forehead and then kisses me on the lips "See you in a bit, babe. I love you".

"I love you too, Lee".

Lee leaves in my car to go to his meetings and Orlando is picking me up in a second. I am standing inside the lobby of the condo complex and he pulls up in his BMW and I jump in. I reach over and hug him, haven't seen him since we left New Zealand "Hey, how are you?".

He kisses my cheek "Good and you?".

"I'm ok, this is always kind of hard".

He pats my leg "I know, Ann, but you would feel bad if you didn't do it".

"I know and it helps you are going with me".

"He was my best friend".

We drive in silence for a bit and I glance over at him "Nobody followed you today to snap your picture?".

"No and that is good, it gets hard when you are doing something so private, you know. So how was Texas and Thanksgiving?".

"It was wonderful, Lee's family is great".

"I bet, so when will he make you a permanent part of his family?".

"I have no idea and I am totally okay with that.....I just enjoy what we have".

Orlando glances over at me while driving "I don't think he will wait too long, he is crazy in love with you".

We pull into our mutual friend's floral shop and get out of the car and walk in and Adam comes running towards us "Oh my gosh, Ann and Orly, so happy to see you".

Hugging him back, I can't help but smile how over the top he always is "Good to see you too".

Orlando hugs him too "Good to see you, man and thanks again for doing this for us year after year".

"Anytime guys" and he goes over to the cooler and pulls out a beautiful wreath with red roses and white flowers accented with a big red velvet bow "Hope you like it, thought is looked like Christmas".

I touch it "It is gorgeous, Adam".

He beams "Glad you love it. And Orly told me when he called to order, that you are dating Lee Pace and we might have a wedding to do?".

"Yes, we are dating".

Orlando interrupts "You are more than dating, you are living together".

"Well, yeah.....and I don't know about a wedding, but I would love for you to do it, if it happens".

Adam get s a serious look in his eyes "I would love that since I was going to do your last one".

We say our goodbyes and thanks and I carefully place the wreath in the back of the car and we drive to the cemetery. I sit in the car for a moment and then take a deep breath and Olrando walks around and opens the door for me "You ok?".

"Yes, lets go".

He gets the wreath out and we walk to Brandon's grave and together we put the wreath on and sit down on the bench in silence. He puts his arm around me and I feel the tears come and I just let them fall. He kisses my cheek "It is ok, Ann and Brandon would want you to move on and to be as happy as you can be. Lee is a good guy and he loves you as much as Brandon did, if not more".

I sniffle "I know he would......it is still just hard".

We sit in more silence and hear another car pull up and both turn our heads, fearful that the paparazzi has followed us, but out steps Brandon's parents. We get up and they smile when they realize it is us and we all embrace.

Brandon's mom hugs me tight "Oh Ann, it is so good to see you, you look wonderful".

"It is good to see you too, Lisa".

Jim, his dad hugs me and Lisa moves on to Orlando "Good to see you, Orly".

We stand together for a minute and just remember their wonderful son and what he meant to each of us. 

I turn to them "Did you know we would be here?".

They look at Orlando, who looks at me and then at his feet "I kind of told them and please don't get mad".

Jim looks at me "Orlando called us and told us".

I look at Orlando "Why?".

Jim speaks again "Because he loves you and cares about you. He told us you have met a wonderful man and that he loves you as much as Brandon did. I know you don't need our approval or permission, but we want you to know that we are both thrilled for you. Brandon loved you, Ann and he would want you to move on, marry and be happy".

I just break down and cry and Lisa hugs me "It's ok, honey".

Looking at them thru my tears, I try to smile "Thank you, it means a lot to me and I don't want you to think that I will ever forget him".

"We know that, Ann".

I hug Orlando "Thank you big brother".

We spent a few more minutes there together and then say our heartfelt goodbyes. I get in the car and sigh, Orlando looks at me "Feel better?".

I smile "Yes, thank you" and I reach for his hand "It feels different, like a weight is gone".

"I think you needed to let go and move on and I don't think you were ready until now, until you met the right guy".

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Around the same time:

Lee pulls into Rodeo Dr. and it hating the traffic already, but knows he just needs to get to my dad's storefront and then he can pull around the back and park. He glances at the watch in the car and then gets out and walks around to the front. Entering the store he is greeted by Melanie, head of sales "Hey Lee, she is not here yet".

He nods "I know, I was hoping to talk to her dad and please don't tell her I came early".

"Ok, just go knock on his office door" and Lee heads to the back and thru the fancy glass doors to our office area and my dad's secretary, Margie is at her desk, she looks up and smiles, she loves Lee "Good to see you, hon', but Ann is not back yet".

"I know, I was hoping to talk to him" and he nods at my dad's office.

"Go right ahead".

"Thanks and Margie, please don't tell Ann I got here early".

She looks at him and it dawns on her why he might be here and she squeals "Ohhh".

Lee lets out a deep laugh and knocks on the door.

My dad answers "Come in!".

Lee enters and my dad gets up from his desk "Lee, good to see you. Ann is not back yet".

"Yes, two people have already told me that, but I came early to talk to you. In fact I lied to her this morning and told her I had two meetings".

My dad gestures to the chair by his desk "Please, have a seat and what can I do for you, Lee?".

Lee takes a deep breath and looks my dad in the eye "Rick, I know Ann is an adult and does pretty much what she damn well pleases".

My dad chuckles "You got that right".

Lee snorts and continues "This might seem old fashioned to you, but I have come to ask for her hand in marriage or at least let you know I have every intention of asking her sometime soon".

My dad gets a big grin on his face and extend his hand to Lee "Congratulations! And it is not old fashioned at all, Lee. It just shows that you were raised right".

"Well, my parents tried".

"They did a damn fine job if you ask me. I have seen you with her and how much you love her. I am thrilled for you both".

"Thank you!".

"Do you want that diamond and how are you going to do this? ".

Lee rubs his face "Well, that is another reason I need to talk to you. Yes, I would love that diamond, but I have no idea what kind of ring she would want and how to this".

My dad pushes the button on his phone "Hey Margie, can you bring me The Stone from the vault please?".

"Sure, give me a minute".

He turns back to Lee "We can make it here, but you need to figure out what you want or just give her the stone and let her design it".

"I would like to have a ring, but don't want to make something and she hates it. She is pretty particular about design".

My dad rolls his eyes "That is an understatement. Do you have any ideas at all?".

"She did a design several months ago with two rubies and she told me it looked like that she imagined Thranduil's wife might have had and she really liked that".

Margie brings in a wooden box and hand it do my dad and leaves.

He flips the box open and shows it to Lee "I know this might not mean a lot to you, but here it is".

Lee looks at the shiny gem sitting in the box "It is very sparkly, almost looks like a big drop of water".

My dad takes it out with a pair of tweezers and holds it up "Exactly! It is totally colorless, no inclusions and cut to ideal proportions".

"It is beautiful".

"So back to the ring.....you said she designed something she loved?".

"Yes, but i couldn't tell you what it looked like other than it had rubies next to the main diamond".

My dad turns his monitor on "Well, let's have a look, maybe she uploaded it somewhere and we can find it" and he scrolls thru some files.

Lee is leaned forward in the chair, looking at the monitor with my dad and an image pops up and he points "That's it, I think".

"I remember that one now, it is very different and gorgeous and it does look like something Thranduil's wife would have worn, the way those prongs come up like tiny branches and holds that center diamond. The tiny leaves studded with diamonds really adds to it too and those heart shaped rubies are so romantic. So is this it then?".

"I think so, but what if she hates it?".

"Well, if worst comes to worst, we can always recast and melt the gold down and do something else".

"Ok and the rubies? Ann said they are hard to find these days?".

"In the quality you would want, yes, but I think we can manage".

"So how long will this take?".

"Probably a couple of months....I will need to find the rubies, the jeweler will make a wax model and then cast it and then hand forge the prongs, make and set the leaves with diamonds etc".

"Can you have it done by Valentine's Day?".

Yes, we can do that and I will figure out how to get it to New Zealand before then".

"My parents are coming out sometime around there, so maybe they can bring it. I would die if you shipped it and it got lost".

"You will be surprised what gets shipped these days, Lee and it doesn't get lost" and he opens a piece of paper sitting on his desk, pulling out a cushion cut, yellow diamond the size of a dime "This came in the mail yesterday".

Lee picks up the stone and holds it in his hand "That is stunning, the color is amazing".

"Yes it is and because of that, you are holding a $200,000 stone".

Lee quickly puts it back in the paper and looks at my day wide eyed "That is nuts".

My dad laughs "It is, but some people are willing and able to pay".

"Sure glad your daughter is not into such a big stone" and he looks at his watch "Oh, I better get going to my real meeting".

"She is too tiny to wear a stone that big, at least that is what I think and I know she does too. The ring we will make her will stand out and be amazing, but not look silly on her petite hand". My dad gets up "Okay, but I am glad you stopped by, Lee and we will keep in touch, I will let you know how things are going".

Lee stands up too and shakes my dad's hand "Thank you so much, Rick, for everything".

"Anytime, have a good meeting".

..........................................................................................................................................................

Orlando and I finish lunch and head back out to his car and I see the two photographers across the street right away. I turn to him "Googly Eyes cross the street".

He nods and opens my car door "I see them". 

I get in and hurry and close the door and he gets in the drivers seat "Hope they will stay put and not follow us to your work".

"Well, even if they do, no biggie, you can just pull in the back and drop me off" and I look at my watch "Let me call Lee and see where he is at" and I hit LP on my phone.

The phone rings a few times and he finally comes on "Hey babe, where are you at?".

"We just finished lunch and are heading towards the store. How about you?".

"I'm pulling off the freeway right now and will be there in 15 min. or so".

"Sounds good, how was your meetings?".

"They were good, just finished with my agent and...*SQUEALING CAR TIRES* *CRASH* *BOOM*" and his line goes dead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and your lovely comments and kudos, it means a lot!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No smut.........but I am sure it will return:0)

I can't comprehend what just happened and I look at my phone and put it back to my ear "Lee, are you there? Lee please answer me? LEE!!!!".

Orlando looks over at me alarmed "Ann, what is going on?".

I look back at him and fear is written all over my face "I was just talking to him and I heard tires squealing and a big boom and I think his line died" and the full impact of what I am saying hits me, I put my hand over my mouth and just buckle over in the seat "oh god, this can't be happening again" and I just loose it, sopping hysterical into my hands.

Orlando gets a freaked out look on his face, he reaches over with one hand and try to pat my shoulder "Woaw...Ann, relax, maybe that is not what happened. Hold on, I am pulling into the gas station" and he steers the car into the station and puts it in park.

He takes my phone and tries to call Lee back, but it just rings and rings.

I am still crying and just silently praying that this is just a dream and I didn't hear what I just heard. Orlando reaches over and wraps me in a tight hug "Hold on, sweetie, I am sure it was just some fluke thing, I am sure Lee is ok".

I cry into his shoulder "How can you say that, you don't know that".

"What was his driving, your Lexus or the Mustang?".

I sniffle "The Lexus, because he didn't have to fold his legs 4 times to get in it".

"That is a solid, big SUV, I am sure he is ok. He has to be, right?".

I loose it again and cry "I can't do this again, Orly......I just can't".

"I know you can't! Remember we don't know anything at all, so try to calm down, sweetie".

Looking at him "We need to find out where he is, he said he was pulling off the freeway, but I have no clue where that would be".

"I don't know if we can, Ann.......do you have OnStar in the car?".

"Yes, I think so, it is loaded, whatever the hell that means these days".

"Okay, maybe we can call them, but we are not in the car.........actually, let me call my friend, officer Brad Cooper and see if he has any idea how to do this".

I nod "And I need to call my dad and Lee's parents....".

Orlando squeezes my hand "Let me call Brad first and we will take it from there, ok? Don't call Lee's parents until we know something, no reason to freak them out if nothing happened"

I nod, just clutching his hand as he makes the call to Brad.

Orlando is drumming on the steering wheel "C'om, c'om, pick up the phone......".

He sits up straighter as someone answers, but I can't hear that part of the conversation, only what Orlando is saying "Brad, it's Orlando......hey, I got a weird question for you, my friend was on the phone with her boyfriend and it sounded like he was in a crash. He is driving her car, is there a way to track it down, OnStar or something?".

Orlando is listening "Aha....okay......sure, I will wait" and he turns to me "He is putting out a call to see if anything have come across their wires, he is off today".

We sit in silence for a few minutes and Orlando starts speaking again "Yes, I am here.......Ok...yes, that sounds like her car....where............aha.......how bad is it? Thanks man, I owe you one, we are heading over there right now.....yes, that would be helpful, i am driving a black BMW" and he hangs up the phone and turns the car back on.

I look at him and I am afraid to ask, but he glances at me "He told me where it is all, Winchester and Flamingo intersection, several calls came in about a crash and".

Cutting him off "And what, Orlando? Is Lee....?" but I can's bring myself to say the last part.

He is zooming out of the gas station and glances at me "He doesn't know......but it sounds like your SUV and a Ford Truck, the truck t-boned your car, ran a red light from what they have heard".

I am a wreck "oh my god, what side did it hit my car?".

He reaches for my hand "Drivers side".

The tears just come again and I start crying hard "No, no, no!".

"Ann, don't panic, we know nothing! Brad called someone on the scene and told them we were coming".

I can't get another word out right now and just sit uptight as Orlando speeds down the street and we get to the scene within minutes. He pulls up behind a patrol car and I bolt out of the car, running towards my now mangled SUV, but I don't get very far before an officer stops me "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to stay back".

Looking at him, I feel like just screaming, but a moment of calm comes over me and I pull myself together "I understand, officer, but my boyfriend was driving that white Lexus, I was talking to him when it happened".

Another officer comes up "It's ok, Derek........Brad Cooper radioed in that she was heading here. Miss, please come with me".

I glance at him and I finally find the courage to ask "How bad is he hurt?".

He walks next to me, leading me past my car towards the ambulance "He is banged up and got knocked out, but should be ok. He is lucky he was driving a solid vehicle or it could have been a lot worse".

I look at my car and the driver's side is pretty bashed in "What happened".

He nods towards the truck "That guy was texting and driving and ran the red light".

We get to the back of the ambulance and I shake my head "That is crazy" and I hear a faint croak from inside "Babe, is that you?".

The EMT looks at me and the officer responds "His girlfriend".

Lee tries to sit up, but he is strapped to the board and the EMT puts a hand on his chest "Sir, please try and lay still".

I don't ask for permission, but jump in there and rush up to him, grabbing the hand he has reached out and I kneel by him "Lee, don't move...you might make it worse".

He looks at me and I just loose it, throwing my arms around him and cries, he kisses my hair and squeezes my hand "It's ok, Ann.....please don't cry".

"Oh god, Lee......I thought it had happened again and I just couldn't....".

Lee let's go of my hand and gently lifts my face "I know, Babe, but I'm ok".

"You don't look ok!" and I look at his face, he has a big bruise by his left temple and he is not moving his left arm either. "Are you in pain?".

"My left side hurts, my shoulder, arm and head too".

The EMT looks at me "He might have a concussion and we don't know about the left side, need to get him to the hospital to get x-rays".

Orlando comes over and sticks his head in "I'll get Lee's stuff from your car and I will call your dad, ok?".

I nod and Lee looks down "Hey Leggy, thanks man and sorry".

He touches Lee leg "don't sweat it, just glad you are ok".

We take off in the ambulance and get to the hospital quickly, they unload Lee and I walk next to him until they get him inside and a doctor comes up "Hi, I'm Dr. Kimball and I am in charge of assessing him. Can i kindly ask you to wait in the waiting area and I will come get you?".

I look at Lee and he nods, I hurry and kiss him and let go of his hand "Sure, I understand, just come get me as soon as you can". And they wheel Lee away.

Taking a deep breath, I sit there for a few minutes and then get down to business of notifying everyone that needs to know. I call his parents first, then his agent and I leave a message on Peter Jackson's cell, assuring him that Lee will be back in New Zealand in 3 weeks, ready to shoot. 

I look up and Orlando and my dad walk in the doors and my dad runs over and hugs me "Oh, honey, are you ok?".

"I'm fine, Lee is going to be ok....at least that is what they said before they actually wheeled him in to really check him out".

Orlando looks at me "That is a good sign".

"I know, I called his mom and dad, they will fly out tomorrow and left a message with Pete, in case the media gets hold of this and he gets worried. I need to call Tami, it might be a bit early over there yet".

My dad pats my knee "Go call her, we will wait here and and come get you if the doctor comes back".

I get up and walk outside and dials Tami's number, it rings several times and finally her sleepy voice comes on "Hello" and I hear a deep baritone voice in the background "Tell who ever that is, that it is too bloody early to call" and Tami goes "Shhh".

I can't help but smile "Well, tell the King under the Mountain that I only call when it is urgent".

"Ann! What is going on, what happened? Why are you calling this early?".

"I don't want to alarm you guys, but Lee was in a car accident 30 min. ago".

"WHAT? Is he is ok?" and I can hear her tell Richard "Lee was in a car wreck" and he goes "What?".

"He shou....", but I am cut off by Tami "Hold on, I am going to put you on speaker so Rich can hear too. Ok, now talk".

"Yes, Lee should be fine, they took him back to check him out, but he was talking and alert".

Richard chimes in "Are you ok? I am sure that was a heart stopping experience for you".

"I'm shaken, but I'll be fine".

Tami voices her concern "Do I need to come see you?".

"No Tami, but thanks, it means a lot and I know you will always be there for me. Lee's parents are coming in tomorrow and you guys are headed for England in a couple of days, right?

"We are actually leaving tomorrow".

"I'll keep you posted. Sorry, but I gotta go, the doctor just came out. Bye".

"Keep us posted, please! Love you".

I look at Dr. Kimball and he motions for me to follow him "Please come with me, Lee refuses to let me give him any information until you are in the room with him".

We enter a room and Lee is laying in a hospital bed and I can see more bruising peaking out from his hospital gown. He has an IV and the swelling by his temple looks darker too, but he is awake and gives me a weak smile when I walk up to him. I lean over and kiss him gently and turn to face Dr. Kimball and Lee grabs my hand "Ok, now you can tell me".

"Are you guys married?".

I shake my head "No".

Lee pipes up "Not yet"

"You sure act like it. Anyway...I have mostly good news. You didn't break anything, but you do have a couple of cracked rips on the left side" and he shows us on the X-ray. "They will heal on their own, but it will hurt like hell for a while, they got bend too. You have soft tissue damage on the left side and that bruising will get really colorful and pretty before it goes away. You are one lucky son of a bitch, that car and the side airbag in it, more than likely saved your life. Usually when you get t-boned like that, we see a lot worse damage. He hit you hard, but the frame of the car held up and didn't crush you. I like to keep you at least until tomorrow, since you got knocked out and probably got a concussion and then you need to take it easy for at least 2 weeks".

"I am due back filming the Hobbit in New Zealand in 3 weeks and we are suppose to go skiing for Christmas".

"No skiing this year Mr. Pace, you need to let those ribs heal and don't take the risk of a head injury either with the concussion. You should be fine going back to filming in 3 weeks. Questions?".

I look at Lee and we both shake our heads. 

"Good, now get some rest and please call the nurse if something all of a sudden changes or you get dizzy".

He leaves and I sit down on the edge of the bed and just look at Lee, touching his face, needing to feel him and know he is ok. "How are you feeling?".

"Like I got hit by a truck and my side just aches and my head hurts".

"Well, you kind of did" and we meet in a sweet kiss.

Lee looks at me "I'm so sorry I about gave you a heart attack, I am sure you felt like it was happening all over again".

I let his words sink in and I feel the tears come again and he hugs me with his right arm and kisses my forehead "Oh babe, please don't cry. I'm ok".

We sit in silence for a while, I think we both realize it was a close call today.

KNOCK KNOCK

I get up and go over and slowly open the door and find Orlando on the other side "Hey Ann, is he ok? The dr. said it was okay for me to go knock and I have Lee's stuff, his papers and his phone that was left in the car. And your dad had to leave, he had a meeting, but said he would come back".

After I hug him, I swing the door open "Come in, Lee is banged up, but ok. He did crack a couple of ribs, so you can talk to him about that".

Orlando walks up the Lee's bedside "How are you feeling, man?".

Lee looks at him, but tries not to move "I'm feeling pretty beat up, but it will get better".

"So you cracked a couple of ribs?".

"That is what the doctor said".

Orlando puts a sympathetic hand on Lee's shoulder "So sorry, it is the pits......I thought I was going to die when I broke my ribs, it hurts like hell and sex was out for a while too. Just a tip from someone who has been there, when you finally feel like it, let her ride you".

I walk over to them and look mortified at Orlando "What? Orlando! Really? I can't believe I am hearing this".

Lee grins at him "Thanks man, I will keep that in mind", but then grimaces in pain "Ouch, that hurts".

"Yep, no grinning or laughing for a while, it sucks".

I slap Orlando's shoulder "Geesh, is that all you guys think about".

He laughs "No, but sometimes us men need to help each other out". He looks at his watch "I better get going" and he hugs me "Please let me know if you need anything". He touches Lee's shoulder "Get feeling better, man".

"Thanks, Leggy and for bringing my stuff".

I pull up the bigger chair next to his bed and plops down "I guess I better make myself comfortable".

He looks at me "Why don't you just go home, Ann......I'll be fine".

"I am not going anywhere, at least not tonight".

Lee looks at me "Fine!" and he reaches out with his right hand and I hold it in mine for a while and just look at him.

He all of a sudden looks paler and wide eyed and I sit up "Lee, what's the matter?".

Turning green, he manages to get the sheets pulled aside and sits up and then bolts for the bathroom, IV pole in tow "I gotta throw up".

I rush after him and find him leaning against the wall, holding on to the mounted handlebar by the toilet and he is throwing up, tears streaming down his face and he tries to hold his left side. I feel helpless, but stand behind him, gently holding his left hip with my hand and rubbing his back with the other. He is whimpering "Fuck, this hurts".

"I know, Lee. I'm sorry, throwing up with cracked ribs is not fun". 

He manages to straighten himself up and makes it to the sink, splashing some water on his face and he grabs the disposable toothbrush and brushes his teeth. He looks at me in the mirror after he rinses "The doctor said this might happen due to the concussion. That was horrible painful".

I walk with him back to the bed and help him sit down on it, he makes a face when he attempts to lay down. We get him situated and adjust the bed, so he is sitting half way up, which seems most comfortable for him right now.

I hand Lee his phone, so he can call his parents and I get on mine and text Tami about the situation and call my dad to let him know, he will be going to Aspen with Suzanne without us.

We both pause and he looks at me "I feel terrible, I ruined Christmas in Aspen".

"Lee, please don't say that, it is totally fine.....we will have a quiet Christmas here and it will be ok. I don't care where we are at as long as I am with you. You need to rest and recover so you can return to New Zealand and be ready. What did your folks say?".

"Oh, mom was all freaked out and was also worried about you, but I told her everything is fine. They both insist on coming tomorrow, but they will only be here for one night-I think they just need to see that I am ok".

"I get that, Lee. They can stay at our place in the guest room, even if you get released tomorrow".

He smiles "Great minds think alike, because that is what I told them and I like that you call it our place".

"Well it is".

We spent a quiet evening in the hospital, Lee eats a little bit, but still feels nauseous and throws up again.

I sit and rub his forehead after getting him back in bed and he finally falls asleep. I look at him and lean in to kiss his forehead. I love him so much. 

Unfolding the chair into a something that should resemble a bed, I curl up with a blanket and drifts off to sleep, exhausted from the day.

...............................................................................................................................................

 I slowly wake up and wince, my body aches all over and I get up and stretch. Looking at Lee, I can't help but smile, he looks so peaceful right now. The bruise on his temple is dark purple now and it looks horrible, I can only guess what his left side looks like today.

Splashing water in my face in the bathroom, I try to wake up and could really use a shower right now. I text Orlando to see if he can run by our place and grab some clean clothes for Lee and I and drop it by sometime. 

The nurse comes in to check Lee's vitals and he stirs a little, but doesn't wake up yet. Dr. Kimball is making the morning rounds and drop by and Lee finally wakes up, looking worn out. He sits up and Dr. Kimball listens to his lungs and checks his eyes "How are you feeling? I heard you did throw up a couple of times yesterday".

Lee croaks "Yeah, that was the worst pain ever with those cracked ribs. I feel sore, but the headache is gone and I don't feel queasy".

"Good, good......your lungs sound fine. Lets have a look at your bruises, can you stand up for me".

He stands up and loosen the robe and I get my first real look at his bruises "Holy crap, Lee".

Dr. Kimball looks at me "Yeah, it looks pretty bad and it might be worse, but it will heal and nothing is broken or torn, so that is good. I think I am going to sent you home this afternoon, if you don't throw up this morning or after lunch." He smiles "It seems like you have a good nurse that will watch you like a hawk".

Lee smiles at me "I do".

Dr. Kimball leaves and I help Lee lay back down after he goes to the bathroom "That IV makes me go all the time".

"Well, you need the fluid, especially since you threw up". I get my phone out "Let me text Orlando back and tell him never mind about the clothes since we will be home. I will just have to look like this until we can get home and shower".

He reaches his hand out and touches my face "You look beautiful, babe".

I have gotten a brush out of my purse and is running it thru my hair, I then loosely braid it and finish with an elastic "Thanks, but I don't feel like it right now".

We spent the morning just talking and I try to wrap up a few things before Christmas. Lee is dozing on and off and his parents stop by to make sure their son is ok and then go get some lunch. My dad stops by with the keys to his SUV so I can drive Lee home and Orlando pops in to see how we are doing and wish us Merry Christmas, he is going to Australia to be with Miranda's family this year. I walk Orlando to the door when he gets ready to leave and he looks at me "I left the thing you asked me to get on your coffee table".

I glance over at Lee, but he looks like he is sleeping "Ok, thanks, Orly".

He hugs me "Merry Christmas".

I squeeze him tight "Merry Christmas and I love you! Thanks for everything".

"I love you too and anytime" and he leaves.

The door closes and Lee mumbles from the bed "What did he leave on the table".

"I thought you were asleep".

"No, just pretending".

I walk over and lean down to kiss him "Nothing that you need to be concerned about...it might be a surprise".

..................................................................................................................................................

Waking up in my own bed feels so good after spending the night before on the chair in the hospital. I roll over and watch Lee sleep, he is laying on his back and still out cold. I run my fingers over his face, careful to avoid the nasty purple/black bruise by his temple, the side airbag hit him there when it was activated. I place a soft kiss on his lips and then get out of bed. 

We got Lee home late afternoon yesterday and had a quiet dinner with his folks and my dad and Suzanne, thank goodness for catering. They got along great and hit it off. My dad and Suzanne are flying to Aspen today and Lee's folks are going back home to spent Christmas with their grandchildren. 3 days until Christmas and I haven't done anything yet, maybe later I can run to my dad's house and get the tree out from storage and grab the ornaments, so at least we will have a tree. 

I throw on one of Lee's t-shirts from his pile on the floor and head to the kitchen, finding his parents up already, his mom is making breakfast. She smiles "Morning, Ann. How did Lee sleep?".

Smiling at both of them and stifling a yawn "Good morning. Okay, but it will be a little rough for a bit. He is sore and his ribs hurt every time he moves. He is out cold now".

His dad comes over for some more coffee "Just let him sleep, he probably needs it. Are you doing ok?".

"Yeah, I'm ok now, it was a little rough yesterday and coming to grips with what could have happened".

We enjoy a lazy breakfast together, I love his parents and spending time with them. I shower and get ready for the day and then run to the store really quick, getting a few things to tie us over, I will do my major shopping tomorrow. Lee's parents stay with him while I am gone, still not comfortable leaving him alone. I bring back lunch and we eat together before they are heading back home.

We close the door behind them and I look at Lee "It was good to see them".

"Yeah and they sure love you, Ann. When you were gone to the store they pretty much ganged up on me and asked me when the wedding was".

"Whhhaat? And what did you tell them?".

"That we don't know and it will happen when it is suppose to happen" and he wraps his arms around me and I have to stand on my tip toes to kiss him, he can't bend down very well right now. 

I wrap my arms around him too, careful not to put any pressure on his left side and I just snuggle into him and we stand there for a few minutes. 

Lee takes another nap in the recliner in the great room and I throw in a load of laundry and just bum around the condo, straightening up and enjoying being home. I grab a sketch book and sit down in the window seat overlooking the "green area" of the complex, a park like setting and sketch a few ideas. 

A couple of hours go by and there is a knock on the front door, Lee stirs and I get up "Wonder who that could be, you need to be buzzed in here, so either a neighbor or someone that has a key".

Lee attempts to get out of the chair and after taking a deep breath, he makes it and we both walk to the front door. Lee opens it and gets a very surprised look on his face "What the hell are you guys doing here?".

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and your comments and kudos!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut in the tub............

I can't see who Lee directed that comment at, but he swings the door all the way open and Tami and Richard are standing there, their hands full of boxes, some of which I recognize as our Christmas tree and ornaments. I just burst into tears and hug Tami really hard "What are you guys doing here, you are suppose to go to England?".

She hugs me back "We made a change of plans and we are flying to London tomorrow. I talked to your dad and he told us how to get into his house and he left the stuff out for us. This was all Richard's idea".

Richard and Lee are hugging and Richard looks at him "How are you feeling?".

"Ok as long as I don't bend over, laugh, cough or move" and he hugs Tami" So good to see you".

I hug Richard and wipe the tears "Thank you so much, this is a nice surprise".

He looks at Tami "She was really distraught after talking to you yesterday, so she called your father and I rebooked our tickets".

Tami dumps all the boxes in the foyer "We figured you hadn't gotten around to getting your tree, so here we are, your personal tree trimming service".

Richard drags the big box containing the tree thru the door "Where do you want this?".

I point to the great room "Just in there on the floor".

Tami turns around "There are still a couple of light bags in the car, I'll get them".

Lee pipes up "I can help if they are light, you guys can wrestle with the tree".

Richard and I nod and as soon as the door closes, Richard reaches for his pack pack "Hurry, I want you to see this". He pulls out a shiny cherry wood box, which I recognize and flips it open "Look at this, it turned out amazing".

I take the box from him and carefully remove the ring, looking at every angle and admiring the gorgeous sapphire in the middle and all the delicate engraving and diamonds "Wow, Richard, that is stunning".

He looks at me "I can't thank you enough, you had the vision and the jeweler brought it to life. She better love it and say yes".

I smile at him "You are more than welcome, I am honored to do it for you and of course she will say yes. She loves you with everything she has, Richard. When are you asking her?".

"Not sure yet, but probably Christmas morning".

I can't help but hug him "I am so excited for both of you and thank you so much for coming today, it means a lot to Lee and I".

He hugs me back "Well, we love you guys and Tami really felt she needed to be there for you. I think in some ways, this is sort of a full circle moment for her, last time you guys dealt with something like this, it was so devastating. This time, it turned out very different, thank goodness".

"I get it and I honestly couldn't go thru that again".

"I know and Tami just cried when she heard that Lee was going to be ok".

"She is so sweet and I don't have to tell you, but you are a very lucky man! She deserves to marry someone like you, that loves her as deeply as I know you do".

"You are going to make me blush".

Lee and Tami return and Richard and her spend some time putting the tree up and I carefully unwrap the ornaments with Lee's help. I go and find a good red vine and open it and we enjoy a glass while we decorate the tree together. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the great room, just talking and enjoying each others company.

Tami and I decide to head to the store and get all my grocery shopping done for the holidays. We leave the boys to fend for themselves for a while, they are reading scripts and comparing notes when we leave.

The door closes behind us and Lee looks at Richard "So, tell me, when are you asking her? Ann showed me a picture of the ring, it turned out stunning".

Richard gets up from the chair "Wait until you see it" and he pulls it from his back pack again and shows it to Lee, like a proud kid with his new toy.

Lee looks at it "Wow, I know nothing about jewelry, but that is beautiful, all the details. It does look like something the dwarves would have made in Erebor. Ann did good, didn't she?".

Richard beams "Yes, she did, she sure is talented and I am like you, I know nothing about this stuff, but even I can tell, that is a piece of art. I am asking Tami when we are in England, probably Christmas morning. How are your plans coming along, did you talk to Ann's father?".

"I did the day of the crash and he gave me his blessing and now I am hoping she will love the ring when it gets done. She designed it, but not sure if that is what she will love, but it looks like something Thranduil's wife would have worn. And I have no freaking clue when and how to ask her, but I will come up with something".

"You will figure something out" and Richard gets an intense look on his face "Is it me, or are we the luckiest blokes on the planet?".

Lee tries to sit up from laying on the couch, but he can't quite make it, so Richard jumps up and helps him. Lee winces in pain "Thanks, man...this is the pits".

Richard sits on the other end of the couch "I bet it is".

"But to answer your question, Richard......I guess we are. I honestly never ever thought I would marry anyone, it just never felt right. Then I travel to New Zealand and boom, I meet Ann and everything changed. I guess I just feel settled for the first time in my life and it actually feels pretty good".

Richard sighs and take another sip of red wine "I know how you feel. I had actually resigned myself to being alone and maybe a casual relationship here and there and then I get to New Zealand and is introduced to Tami".

"Did you know right away?".

"I think I sort of did. I remember she walked in during a meeting with Pete, Fran and Philippa and was introduced and when our eyes met, I turned into an idiot and couldn't string two sentences together. I did manage to ask her out the week after and the rest is history". Richard chuckles "I remember when I caught Ann and you dry humping each other the day you guys met".

Lee grins and then regrets it right away "I'm glad you interrupted us or it could have been cringe worthy. I just felt like it had known her forever and I knew that night that I was in love, but too scared to tell her".

"Well, you didn't wait long and I am so happy for you guys".

"This is pretty personal, Rich, but are you going to have kids?".

"Probably, we talk about it, but until this trilogy is done filming, it will be crazy. Don't even know if we can fit a wedding in there until after. What about you guys?".

"I honestly don't know. We just briefly discussed it, but we have not been together that long. I also know that the window is closing since Ann is older than me. I would like to, but also realize that our lives are hectic and crazy. I figure things will work out the way they are suppose to".

"That is a good attitude to have".

They sit there for a bit, contemplating their lives and how fate has played a role in bringing them together as friends, because of the friendship the women they love, formed many years ago.

Tami and I return and haul in bags of groceries. Lee and Richard are both asleep on the couch, each slumped over on either end, script in hand and looking so cute. Tami motions for me to come over and we can't help but whip out our phones and snap a couple of pictures.

We put all the groceries away and I get started on dinner, home made lasagna with salad and garlic bread. Tami puts new sheets on in the guest room, so Richard and her can sleep there tonight before they head to London in the morning. She comes out in the kitchen and takes a seat at the bar, watching me cook "Can I do anything?".

"No, just relax, you have done enough today and the salad is ready to go. Just need to finish the meat sauce and layer is all together. Want something to drink?".

"Just water. I am so thrilled we could stop and see you guys".

"Me too, it was pretty nerve wrecking the other day and all those feelings I had when Brandon had his accident came flooding back. It was awful".

She takes the glass of water I hand to her " I am sure and I felt I had to come see you, make sure you are ok".

"I'm fine now, but it made it almost worse, that I earlier that day went with Leggy, to Brandon's grave and sort of closed the chapter. Leggy had asked Brandon's parents to be there and they were so sweet and gave me their blessing to move on. I know I have always had that from them, but to actually hear it, made a difference".

Tami wipes a tear "Oh great, now I am going to cry. So do you think Lee will ask you?".

"Eventually, but I don't think he has any plans for it right now. We just both know that we are headed that way. What about Rich, is he giving you something sparkly for Christmas?".

"I have no clue, but probably not. We have talked about it, but with the schedule, we would probably have to wait until the following year, if we marry in England".

I smile at her "Just have two weddings, one in New Zealand and do another one once filming is done".

"Now there is an idea, I actually hadn't thought about doing it that way".

"That is what your best friend is for, to help plan your life and tell you what to do, right?".

She laughs "I guess so".

"That way your parents will feel like part of it too and you know the entire crew would expect to be invited, right? You guys might think you are hiding your relationship, but I am sorry to tell you, that pretty much everyone knows about it by now".

"I kind of figured that".

I snort "well, you would have to be blind to not see the way Richard looks at you when you are on set. He is so lovesick, it is almost funny".

"I know, he is so sweet. Lee sure wasn't shy about letting everyone know that he was dating you, it was pretty much evident from the beginning, that you were his and everyone else better back off".

We sit and talk for a while longer until the food is done and we wake the boys so we can eat. Sitting around the table talking and laughing with good friends is what it is all about. When we finally call it a night, I fall asleep grateful for the friends we have, they are pretty much family.

.............................................................................................................................

It is Christmas eve, but it doesn't really feel like it with the sun outside and the palm trees, that is why we usually go to Aspen or somewhere else with snow. Tami and Rich left yesterday and made it safe to England to spent Christmas with his folks. I am so excited to hear from them tomorrow, I can't wait to hear about the proposal.

I am standing in the kitchen, throwing together a breakfast casserole for tomorrow morning, my mom's recipe and a family tradition. I am also prepping dinner for tonight: twice baked potatoes, a salad, bacon wrapped grilled asparagus and marinated steaks. I finish and Lee comes in and stands behind me at the counter, nuzzling my neck with his lips and kissing my cheek "It looks tasty".

I turn around and try to kiss him back, but the height difference makes it hard and he can't bend down. I move the cutting board out of the way and jump up on the counter and sit down, facing him and he wraps his arms around me and we meet in a sweet kiss "I hope it is. How are you feeling today?".

He lazily traces his fingers up my back, under my shirt and kiss me again "I feel ok, but then I move and are reminded that I am not fine. My left arm is better though, I can move that without it hurting".

Lifting his shirt up "Well you are not fine right now, your entire left side would make crayola proud, you are black, purple, red, yellow and every shade in between".

He sighs " I know and it feels maybe even worse today, pretty tender" and he whines "and babe, it is so hard, because I really want to fuck you on this counter, right now".

Deepening the kiss, I can't help but wrap my legs around him "That sounds pretty nice, but you are in too much pain to do that right now".

His hand is at the back of my head and he is devouring me with his tongue. I feel him trying to move his hips, but see the immediate pain that comes across his face and he looks at me in defeat.

I caress his face with my hand "Easy, cowboy...don't make it worse. How about you go soak in the tub for a bit, it might loosen things up and make you relax".

He smiles "That is why I love you, babe, you always try to make me feel better".

Placing another kiss on his lips "I love you more, Lee and that is my job, to make you feel better. Just be grateful we did a lot of humping before your car accident".

Lee groans "I know, it was great being on vacation and actually having the energy. It is hard during filming, sometimes I was just too damn tired".

I gently push him to the side and jump down from the counter "That is just the way it goes and it is totally fine, but watch out if you came home after sword fighting, holy shit....that was probably the wildest sex we have ever had" and I head towards the master bedroom "C'om......I'll fill the tub up and lets see if you get feeling better".

He trots after me and mumbles "Well, I would feel better too if you would stop talking about having wild sex".

Walking into the master bathroom, I turn on the tub, feeling the water, making sure it is as hot as possible. This is one of my favorite rooms in the condo and I made sure they put in a deep, oversized, jetted tub and a double shower. I pour some bath salt under the running water and turn to Lee "ok, now strip".

He smirks and drop his sweat pants and boxer briefs and pulls his t-shirt over his head "Yes Ma'm!".

The bruises look horrendous today, a couple of places are almost black. I turn him around, so I can look at his back "gosh Lee, they look even worse out here in this light".

He steps in the tub and braces himself with his arms and pain moves across his face as he sits down. Leaning back and resting his head against the edge, he does let out a sigh of pure bliss "Hmmm.....now this feels good, water is just right".

I grab a towel and put it under his head "This is even better".

Lee's eyes are closed and I can see the tension draining from his face "Thanks, babe".

I lean down and kiss his lips "See, I told you I knew what was good for you. Now sit here for a bit and maybe even turn on the jets on low, that way the water heater will circulate the water and keep it toasty for you. I'll be back in 20 min. to check on you, I'm going to go throw the potatoes in the oven" and I walk out of the room, dimming the lights.

Picking up some of Lee's clothes on the way out of the bedroom and tossing it in the hamper, I smile and shake my head....my boy is messy, but I love him anyway.

I go to the walk in closet and reach behind the jeans on the shelf, removing a a box, wrapped in shiny black paper and tied with a big, orange bow. I carry it to the great room and carefully place it under the tree and notice a box already sitting there, wrapped in brown butchers paper and tied with some fancy looking, braided leather rope, Lee must have put it there while I was in the kitchen, it feels a little heavy. 

Making my way to the kitchen, I put the potatoes in the oven and sit down for a minute, scrolling thru my phone, noticing that Lee did post on Twitter 20 min. ago with a selfie of him in front of the tree, holding the box "Shhh......Santa came early here. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas". I smile, he is adorable and he turned his head, so you can't see the nasty bruise by his left temple since that would probably cause a stir. I do read a few of the comments "Aww, he is so cute", "Merry Christmas, Lee", "I wish he was under my tree this year", "where is he at, looks mighty sunny", "wonder who that gift is for?", "he looks relaxed and happy". I shake my head and chuckle, if they only knew Lee was currently sitting naked in a jetted tub.......

I make my way back to the bathroom and he is still sitting there, the jets are running on low and he looks like he is totally relaxed. He lazily opens one eye a little and smile "This is awesome, Ann and I don't hurt right now, You should join me, there is room here, right between my legs".

"Sure there is, Lee.....I think that is just your excuse to get your woman naked".

He smirks "And what is so bad about that? I might not be able to fuck you right now, but I can still touch you and make you feel good. Pretty please" and he looks at me with those puppy dog eyes, he very well knows I can't resist.

I giggle "I guess it is Christmas eve" and I shed my clothes "but you are going to have to let some water out or we will flood the bathroom".

Lee twists the plug "Ok, but not too much, don't want you be cold" and he reaches up with his right hand to help me in the tub.

Sinking into the the hot water is heaven and I plant a kiss on his lips before turning around and settling between his legs, resting my back against his chest and he kisses my ear and wraps his arms around me "Glad you joined me".

I lean my head back and breathes deeply "Me too, Lee, this is really great". I close the drain since enough water is gone.

We sit for a few minutes, but he can't keep his hands to himself, so pretty soon he is gliding them up and down my body, groping my breasts and stroking my nipples with his thumbs, until they are hard peaks. I arch my back and he runs his large paws down my flanks, over my stomach and uses his right hand to lightly brush over my folds, I am already pretty aroused from him playing with my nipples and moan when I feel his hand and pushes my hips into him "Lee, please".

He kisses my arched neck and bites my ear "What do you want, babe?" and he gently rubs my clit with his thumb and trace my opening with his index finger, making me squirm.

Grabbing his hand with mine, I push him into my folds and grind my hips "I want this since I can't have that" and I snake my other hand behind my back and grab hold of his hard cock and it is his turn to moan as I take a firm hold and slide my hand up and down his shaft a few times. 

Lee pushes his long fingers into me and starts to move them, I forget all about doing anything to pleasure him since I am so overwhelmed by what he is doing to me. He caress my walls with his index and middle finger, slowly speeding up his movements and making sure to apply pressure to my clit with his thumb. I am a withering mess at this point and he has he left arm draped around my upper torso and his hand firmly planted around my right breast, gently kneading and rubbing my nipple. He whispers in my ear "god, you are beautiful, Ann" and he moves his fingers even faster.

My head is thrown back against his chest, I am on sensory overload as he strokes my nipple and fucks me with his fingers. He curls his fingers inside of me and strokes my clit with his thumb and that does it, I come hard and convulse around him, moaning is pure ecstasy "oh god Lee!".

He kisses my neck and continues to move his fingers "That's it babe, ride it out" and he slows down and I turn my head and kiss him with everything I got.

Lee smiles as we kiss "Hope that was good".

I pinch his nipple and lick his lower lip "I think you know it was" and I turn around, straddling him, but sliding back so I sit on his thighs. I kiss him again and run both my hands over his chest, being careful not to apply pressure on his left side and travel down across his abs and finally wrapping my fingers around his rock hard erection. I move my hands up and down, the water making everything slick and I make sure to rub over the swollen head of his cock, sliding my thumb along the underside.

His breathing speeds up and his head is tilted back, eyes closed "oh fuck, that feels good, keep going, babe". He moves his hips and I can tell that hurts since he is using his muscles.

Kissing him with passion, I push my tongue into his mouth and he runs his hands over my butt and up my body, ending with cupping my breasts in his hands and squeezing gently. I breathe in his ear "relax, let me do the work for you. Tell me what you want....faster, harder or do you want to get out of the tub?".

Lee returns the kiss and he gets a few words out between breaths "don't you dare stop...I'm so close" and I feel his hand close over mine and he sets the rhythm and the speed. 

He looks so hot, sitting the tub, his cheeks flushed from arousal, his eyes closed and his hand around his big cock. I can't help but moan in his ear "you have no idea how much this turns me on".

I feel him go harder and I can tell that his entire body tenses up. I tighten my grip along with his and he comes with a shout " ohh fuck" and I feel him pulsing under my hand and I keep pumping until he is totally spent. He slumps against the tub, his head back against the towel and tries to catch his breath.

Sliding closer to him, I wrap my arms around him and I feel his strong arms slide up my back and returning the hug. I place kisses on his exposed neck and up his throat before we meet in a tender kiss. I smile as our eyes meet "Was it ok? I know it was not what you wanted, but.......".

Lee tenderly moves a strand of my hair from my face and cup my chin "It was great, babe" and he kisses me again and I rest my head on his right shoulder, still mindful of his tender left side. I sigh in contentment and he reaches over to turn off the jets and places a kiss on top of my head and mumbles into my hair "sorry for making a mess".

I lift my head with questioning eyes "What are you talking about? The bath water? The tub circulates to clean the pipes and we can just rinse off with the handheld" and I nod towards fixture sitting next to the tub faucet.

He smiles "you are so practical".

"Well, it is better than having to sleep on the wet spot in the bed".

Lee laughs, but then winces "shit, I keep forgetting I can't do that".

"Sorry, sweetie" and I touch his face and kiss him again.

We sit for a few more minutes with our arms wrapped around each other and then get up, quickly rinsing off and getting out of the tub. I hand him a towel and we dry off and get dressed. 

I look at him "Dinner should almost be ready. Can you come throw the steaks on the grill and the asparagus?'.

He comes up and hugs me from behind "Sure and I am actually starving now".

We walk in the kitchen and Lee slides the door open to the deck, turning the grill on. I take the salad out of the fridge and check the potatoes in the oven, they were on low, so they need a few more minutes. He gets the steaks and asparagus out and puts them by the grill. Grabbing the red wine on the counter, I pour two glasses and walk out on the deck and hand him one. the stuff gets grilled and the potatoes get done and we sit down to eat.

He reaches over and places his hand on top of mine and gives me a sweet smile as he raise his glass "Merry Christmas, Ann".

I turn my hand over, so our fingers intertwine and smile back at him "Merry Christmas, Lee" and we enjoy a quiet dinner together, just the two of us.

After cleaning up from dinner, we find ourselves in bed early, kind of tired from the last few days of stress and we both like to read in bed. We are both sitting up against the gray, leather headboard of the king size bed, each with a stack of books on the nightstands and I have a few magazines on the comforter too. We sit there for at least an hour, but then I yawn and put all my reading material away and turn to Lee "I'm tired".

He looks up and closes the book he was reading "Me too, babe. Lets go to bed".

He turns of his light and carefully lays down on his back and I roll over and he takes me in his arms for a minute. I gaze into his eyes "I love you, Lee".

Running his hands thru my hair and lovingly touching my face before he kisses me, he looks back at me "I love you more, Ann".

We kiss a few more times before I roll over to turn off my light and I snuggle next to him "G'night".

He squeezes my hand "Night" and we both drift off to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, leaving kudos and comments, I appreciate it so much and I know i will be sad once the story is done.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New Year's Eve smut, so be warned.........

I lay in bed for a few minutes after waking up,enjoying the warmth from the blankets and the body currently laying flush against mine. I try not to move, don't want to wake Lee up. He is laying on his right side facing me and his breathing is still deep and even. His hair is a glorious mess and I smile as I move a couple of strands of hair from his forehead. His eyelashes are so long and he manages to be so devastatingly handsome and totally cute at the same time. I can't help but kiss him, first his forehead, then his nose and finally planting one on his mouth. He mumbles something and rolls over on his back and start to snore softly.

I carefully edge myself out of bed and put on my silk robe, laying on the bench at the foot of the bed. I walk in the kitchen and set the oven on 300, taking the casserole from the fridge and popping it in. I start the coffee maker and remove the fruit I cut yesterday from the fridge. I make my way to the great room and flip the switch to light the tree and throw the big quilt from the couch on the floor by it. Our stockings are under the tree, we each finished stuffing them in secret and there are a few more presents from our family and friends there too. It has been a long time since I have had such a quiet Christmas, but it feels nice. Tami and I went to Australia one year by ourselves during the Ring days, but besides that, I usually spent it with my dad.

Remembering Tami and that it is past Christmas morning in England, I go looking for my phone, finding it on my nightstand. I take my robe back off, tossing it on the floor and crawl back in bed, laying down under the warm covers. I scroll thru and there is a text message from Richard, a picture of the Tami and him, sitting on the floor, in their pj's and he is holding her left hand up and the caption "she said yes". There is another text from Tami with a selfie of Richard and her and she is holding her hand up in front of them with the text "I can't believe you kept this from me, but holy wow is it gorgeous and I LOVE it! Wishing you and Lee a very Merry Christmas, We love you XOXO".

I can't help but let out an "awww" and Lee stirs next to me, rolling over towards me and wraps his arm around me. He kisses my naked shoulder and says in a sleepy voice "what?".

Turning to kiss him back, I hold up my phone "the lovebirds are engaged. Rich asked her this morning, she said yes and loves the ring and they say Merry Christmas".

He bites my shoulder and nuzzle my neck "Tell them Merry Christmas back and congratulations" and he takes my phone from me "actually, we should sent them a selfie, right now".

"Lee! I don't know, we are still in bed".

"So? C'om, it will be fine" and he scoots closer and pulls up the sheet, so only our heads are sticking up. He snuggle his head next to mine and holds my phone up "say cheese" and snaps a picture. He looks at it and shows it to me "it looks great" and I nod as he types out "congrats you two lovebirds and Merry Christmas from lazy LA. Love you~L&A".

He puts my phone on his nightstand and turn back to me, still resting on his right side and puts his arms around me again and plants a soft kiss on my lips "Merry Christmas, babe".

I wrap one leg around his hip, careful about his left side and I run my hand gently up his back and return the kiss "Merry Christmas, Lee. Want to get up and open presents and eat breakfast?".

Running his hands down my back and sliding them under my lace underwear, he playfully grabs my butt and nips at my ear "this is the only present I need".

I giggle and grab his ass cheek too "you are such a dork, but I love you anyway".

Lee gives me a rather serious look and moves his hand up to cup my chin "I love you more, Ann" and we meet in a tender kiss and he makes a motion to get out of bed "and breakfast and presents sounds good, it smells awesome". He manages to roll out of bed and throws on some sweats and a t-shirt. 

Stretching and then getting out of bed, I grab my robe and put it back on and walk with Lee into the kitchen "Want to eat first or open presents?".

"Can we do both?".

"Sure" and I find a tray in the cabinet and put some glasses, OJ, plates, forks and the fruit on it and then I look at Lee "can you even sit on the floor by the tree?".

"Probably, but it might be hard to get back up....lets just try it" and he takes the casserole out of the oven and follows me in to the great room. 

I put the tray on the floor and hurry over and take the dish from Lee "don't try and bend down with that, worry about yourself" and I put it down next to the tray.

He very carefully lower himself to the floor, probably not the most elegant way, but it works. I sit down next to him and he looks at me "see, I could manage".

Smiling at him, I hand him a glass of orange juice and a plate with some fruit and breakfast casserole "You did fine, sweetie. Here and I will get us coffee in a few minutes".

He leans over and kisses me "this is really great" and he takes a bite of the casserole and makes some satisfied noises "uhmm, mmm....this is very good".

"Glad you like it, my mom use to make it every year for Christmas and I have kept up the tradition".

He sets the plate down for a minute and hands me the box with the fancy rope and butcher paper "this is from me and I really, really hope you love them".

I carefully untie the fancy braided leather cord and remove the butcher paper and open the big, cardboard box under it, embossed with the name "Wild Rose Custom Boots". I think I gasp when I pull the tissue paper aside and I see the most beautiful pair of custom, brown cowboy boots, all hand embroidered with the most gorgeous wildflowers, both on the toe and all the way up the boot. I look at Lee, who is is anxiously watching me "Ohh, Lee...wow, I don't know what to say, they are stunning" and I lean over and kiss him "thank you!".

He gives me one of his big grins with the cute dimples showing and he kisses me back "you are welcome, babe. So glad you like them, I had my mom order them for me and I smuggled them back here in my suitcase".

"I don't like them, I LOVE them!".

'They make the best boots and I thought it would be something you would love".

"I do, but I think you cheated, they cost a hell of a lot more than $50".

He smirks "Maybe".

"It is okay, I guess.....I cheated too" and I hand him the box wrapped in the shiny black paper with the orange bow "this is from me. I heard from Richard you really liked his". 

Lee takes the box and in true manly fashion just rips the paper and bow off, opening the red box inside and he looks at me "Ann, you way cheated....I know how much this is, you are crazy". He removes the Omega Seamaster watch inside and puts it on "but I do love it. Thank you!" and we exchange another kiss.

"Richard's has a black dial, but I got you the orange, thought it suited you better and it was different".

He looks at his wrist "it is awesome, babe. Is this what Orlando left on the table?".

"Yeah, I had ordered and paid for it over the phone, but just needed to go get it".

We eat a little more and open the rest of the presents, a photobook from Richard and Tami with a lot of memories from New Zealand, bunch of books from my dad and Lee's family gives us a portrait of Carl in a fancy frame, which makes us laugh and a handmade quilt for our bed in New Zealand. Our stockings are filled with some oranges, pears and favorite candy. Lee puts his plate back on the tray and lays down on the floor, putting his parents quilt under his head as a pillow, he stretches in contentment and gives me a lazy smile "that was really good....I feel like laying here for the rest of the day".

I finish my orange juice and put the glass back on the tray and then join him on the floor, laying on his right side, resting my head on his chest and he drapes his arm around me "then do...we have no agenda today and we are headed back to New Zealand soon enough and once we get there, you will not have a lot of time to rest".

He kisses the top of my head and intertwine his left hand with mine, bringing them to his lips and kissing my knuckles "I know, I am excited, but at the same time, this has been really nice, just spending time with you and family and friends".

We spent a lazy day at home, just hanging out, reading and Skyping with a few family members.

......................................................................................................................................

New Years Eve:

I step out of the shower in the changing room and quickly dry off. I just got done with my cadio in the gym housed in the condo complex and I agreed to come join Lee in the pool area after. He is feeling much better and started to swim in the pool since that is something he can do without putting too much strain on those cracked ribs and surrounding muscles. I got a new bikini to take with me to New Zealand, really hoping we can get away and go to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef on vacation. I put it on and look in the mirror, it is white and I bought it because I liked how it fit and felt comfortable. I throw my gym clothes in my bag and put the towel over my arm and head towards the pool.

There are so many things I love about this place and the pool and gym are just two more things. Lee is using the inside pool today, the weather is still a little chilly to be out side and it is windy. There are just a few other people there right now, a family and a group of guys. The family is leaving as I get there and the guys are doing laps on the left side. Lee is doing laps on the right side and I just watch as he long body glides effortless thru the water, he was a natural on the swim team I am sure. I put my stuff down by his bag on one of the lounge chairs as he swims up and rests his arms on the edge of the pool, he smiles "hey babe, how was the workout?".

"It was fine" and I shed my loose tshirt I have been wearing over my bikini and his eyes goes really big and I give him a nervous smile "what...Lee...? Is it that bad?".

His eyes dart over to the group of guys and he reach his hand up and I think he will gently help me in the pool, but oh no, Lee yanks me right in and wraps his arms around me when I surface and he whispers in my ear "what the fuck are you trying to do to me? That bikini is dangerous and I am sure you just gave 5 guys a hard on".

I look at him confused "what are you talking about, 5?".

He nods to the other side of the pool and hisses in my ear "their eyes about fell out when you took your t shirt off, so I am sure there is a reason they are not getting out of the water and as for me, well..." and he lower his hands down my back, grabbing my butt and pushing me into him and I feel his rock hard shaft outlined against his swim trunks.

I am holding on to his shoulders, but also very aware that we are in a public place, but I do whisper in his ear "so I assume it looks ok?".

Groaning back at me "yes, Ann, it looks great, but I don't know if you should wear it in public, it does things to me".

I smirk "oh, really like what?".

He moves his face really close to mine and kisses me gently "like making me horny as fuck"".

I let go of him "better get use to it, I am bringing it to NZ" and I swim off down the lane. 

Lee pushes off and quickly catches up to me as the guys on the other end leave and as soon as the door shuts behind them, he pounces, wrapping his arms around me and pushing me against the pool wall. He has both feet planted solid on the bottom of the pool and he attacks my mouth with his, forcefully pushing his tongue into my mouth and I wrap my legs around him, feeling his rock hard erection against my core. His breathing is out of control and I can't help but grind my hips into him and he growls "I want you right now!".

"Are you sure that is a good idea? I want you too, but not if it will hurt you" and I kiss him back with just as much passion and reach down and snake my hand in his swim trunks, grabbing his cock and stroking him rather forcefully, remembering to stroke him over his swollen, sensitive head.

He bucks and grunts in my ear "upstairs now or I will fuck you right here and I don't care who sees us" and he pulls me to the shallow end of the pool and encourages me to get out. He throws a towel at me and he wraps the other one around his waist, grabs our bags and take hold of my hand and almost drags me out of there.

I am laughing at the desperation in his actions "slow down, I think you will survived".

"I doubt it, hurry up, babe" and we take the stairs up, him two at a time and I unlock the door as he throws our bags in the foyer and slams the door behind us. He looks at me with lust written all over his face and it turns me on to see he is that worked up and we meet in a searing kiss, he places both his hands on my face as he devours my mouth.

He is walking me backwards into the kitchen and when get there, he throws the towel he had wrapped around his waist on the counter. I know what he wants and know he can't lift me up there, so I jump up on the counter and he is right in front of me as soon as I sit down, reaching for my butt and pulling me close as I open my legs and wrap them around him. He pulls the bikini strap down and drags his tongue over my breast, knowing that it goes straight to my very core. I rake my fingernails down his back as I push my hips into him and when he closes his mouth around my nipple, I throw my head back and moans in pleasure.

He reaches behind and fumbles with the bikini clasp, but finally gets it undone and mumbling while he nibbles on my collarbone "I hate those things, they should come with velcro".

Giggling I attack his mouth again, letting my tongue duel with his and sucking on his lower lip. My hands are busy roaming over his body and I move down to his swim trunks and shoves them down his legs and pull him even closer by grabbing his naked butt. 

Lee groans when I pull him closer and moves his hips and his hands reach up and passionately take hold of each of my breasts as we continue to devour each others with our mouths. I try to get as close to him as possible and he is pretty much humping me at this point, my bikini bottoms are soaked, but it is not enough and I bite his ear "oh god Lee, I want you in me now".

He growls and yanks my bottoms off in one violent move and his right hand is at my dripping folds right away and he moans when he feels how sopping wet I am "fuck, Ann, this turns me on".

I grabs hold of his rock hard cock and he pushes into my hand as I rub him and I feel even more wetness pool between my legs as slick drops leak over my fingers as I thumb his swollen head. 

Lee feels it too and he looks at me "god, I want you, babe" and I guide him to my entrance and he takes hold of my butt and slams into me with another grunt "oh fuck".

He doesn't waist any time and starts to pound into me, our breaths coming in moans and grunts as he fucks me hard and curses and encouragement meshes "harder, Lee! Ohhh god! Fuck! Mmmm, more, harder". I am clinging on to him and dig my nails into his shoulder. 

Slowing down a bit, he moves his hands to my upper back and kisses me again and looks at me "can we make this work for you, if I do this? and he places his thumb right above where we are joined and applies pressure and reach his other hand around, holding on to my butt and tilts me back a little, changing the angle. He keeps stroking my swollen nub, slowly moving in and out of me with his big cock and then dips his head down and latches onto one of my nipples with his mouth, swirling his tongue over the peak.

I clench my internal muscles around him and when I feel his wet tongue around my nipple it sends me into a mind blowing orgasm. I grabs his butt as I feel the spasms begin, encouraging to go as deep as he can and he does, knowing that it just increases my pleasure as he pounds into me and I moan loudly in his ear "oohhhh, Lee".

He feels my walls contract around him and he grips my behind and holds me tight as he thrusts one last time and comes hard, releasing his warmth deep inside of me with a groan "fuck I'm coming".

We are both drenched in sweat and clinging to each other for dear life. We stay like this for a while, my legs tightly wrapped around him and holding each other close. Our breathing is slowly returning to normal and he lets out a breath on my neck and we finally pull apart enough so we can meet in a soft kiss. Lee looks at me "was it too rough?".

I smile into his mouth and bite on his lower lip "no, it was hot and amazing. I like when you get horny as fuck".

He gives me one of the big grins with dimples and all "me too, babe".

We are more or less stuck together and Lee carefully pulls away from me and I unwrap my legs. He leans in for another kiss "you ok?".

I grab his head with my hands and kiss him back "yeah, I am great, but I think we better hit the shower, don't want to be late for the party".

"I know" and he holds his hand out to help me down from the counter. I jump off and grab the towel, throwing it in the laundry room on the way to the bathroom. 

We step in the double shower and finally get cleaned up. He gets done before me and walks out, wrapping a towel around his waist. I step out and he peaks his head out from the walk in closet "what are you wearing? I'm trying to match or coordinate at least".

I towel off quickly and wrap another around my hair and walk in where he is "I don't know.....it is my dad's annual formal news years party, so lots of clients, some famous, will be there along with friends and business associates". I walk over to my dress section and flip thru a few "what do you think, anything you like?".

Lee walks over, still wearing the towel and looks "how about the red dress, it will look good with your dark hair".

I pull it down from the rack "one of my favorites".

"Well, I haven't seen you wear it".

I pinch his butt thru the towel "because we haven't gone to any fancy parties together yet".

Walking back out, I hurry and blow dry my hair, feeling grateful that is just does its thing and I don't need to do much too it. I put on a little more makeup than usual, since this is a formal thing and then return to the closet.

Opening my underwear drawer, I search for something to wear and find a black lace set and put on the panties. I pull on the bra straps and clasps the back and pull the dress on. I turn to Lee "can you zip it up please?".

He walks over, buttoning his crisp white shirt "sure" and fumbles with the zipper for a minute before he is able to zip me up "there" and he returns to his side, pulling his gray suit down from the hanger.

Moving over to the shoe rack, I find my very bedazzled silver pumps and step into them and look in the mirror in the corner: The dress is made of red lace, has short sleeves and hits me right  above the knee. I love it since it is simple yet makes quite the statement due to the color. I look at him as he buckles his belt "well, does this look ok?".

He looks over and pulls on his jacket, but stop as he gets one arm in "Ann......that is stunning, you look gorgeous, babe". 

I smile "thanks and I still need to put on some jewelry". I go over to the shelves with our jeans and work out clothes, reaching in behind and pulling out a couple of jewelry boxes, setting them down on the center island in the closet "now what to wear?". The bracelet of Thranduil's sword that Lee gave me a few months ago is already laying there and I put it on, admiring the workmanship and how perfect the jeweler copied the real thing. I look over my selection, but not really seeing anything I like and I glance at Lee as he is tying his red tie.

He looks back at me as he is adjusting the knot "hey, don't look at me for advice in that department, because I will just tell you it all sparkles". 

I playfully try to swat at him "geesh, you are so helpful", but he moves out of the way and gives me a hearty laugh and comes over and hugs me from behind, wrapping his arms around me and kisses my neck.

Lee looks over my shoulder "let me see......it is not like you lack selection there, holy shit....".

"This is nothing, you should see my dad's bank vault".

He snorts "I bet" and he returns his attention to the boxes "what do you have in mind? Something flashy or?".

"Something that will match the dress, but I don't have a lot of rubies since they are pricier than diamonds for good ones" and I think for a minute. I untangle myself from his hug and walk over to the corner and reach behind some boxes on the floor and open the last one, taking out a black velvet box and I open it and show it to Lee "is this too much?".

He comes over and peak in the box "wow...that is beautiful. No, I think it will be fine".

I take it out and look at the beautiful pear shaped ruby set in a milgrained setting and hanging down from the very antique looking necklace, studded with tiny diamonds and more rubies. "It belonged to my mom, my dad gave it to her for their 25th wedding anniversary and she gave it to me before she died".

Lee is listening to every word, leaning against the wall "that is a very sweet story".

Putting it on and clasping the closure I turn to look at him "I hardly ever wear it since it is so dressy, but what do you think?".

He comes over and stands right in front of me and lifts my chin "I think it looks stunning and it is not too much, it is perfect for that dress" and he gets a more serious look on his face "I love you, Ann".

" I love you too, Lee" and he manages to bend down and gives me a soft kiss.

We break and he reaches for his black dress shoes and puts them on and he looks in the mirror "do I look presentable?".

I look over at him after putting the boxes away and he is standing there in his grey suit, crisp white shirt and red tie and dress shoes. He smiles at me and he even shaved today, thinking it was time to get use to that again before New Zealand, "what, Ann....what is it?".

Walking over to him I stand on my toes to kiss him "you look hot and gorgeous, Lee. Ready to go?".

"Yep, I think so" and he takes my hand and we walk out the door. 

He insists in driving and as we head towards my dad's house I glance at him "thanks for going with me, Lee. I know this is not your thing and you would rather be home on the couch in sweats".

He reaches for my hand 'well so would you and I get it, you have to socialize and connect with your people, to promote your products and brand, just like I have to promote tv shows and movies. It is not always fun, but part of the job".

"Well, I hope this will actually turn out to be fun, it usually is".

We arrive at my dad's house, it is grand, but not over the top. The backyard and pool area are decorated with strings of lights and the buffet table is gorgeous with flowers arrangements and so are the tables set up for people to sit and mingle. My dad takes great pride in being a wonderful host and that is why people love to come here.

He grabs Lee as soon as we get there and takes him around to meet all his friends. I catch up with old friends and customers and eat some fabulous food. I glance over at Lee at couple of times, making sure he looks like he is having fun and he does, wineglass in hand he laughs and chats with everyone my dad wants him to meet. We spent time together and apart, just mingling and having a good time. I smile when I see a group of women just staring at him from across the pool, they are pretty much undressing him with their eyes and I can't blame them, he looks hot tonight. 

I stand there for a minute and someone comes up and hands me another glass of wine "you sure look stunning tonight, Ann" and I turn around and find event planner, Colin Cowie standing there with a big grin.

We are friends since my dad uses him for all his events thru the year. I hug him "Colin, it is so good to see you and thank you".

"You coordinated well with that handsome boyfriend of yours" and he nods towards Lee "he sure is a nice guy, never met him before, but love his work in The Fall and Soldier's girl".

I take a sip of the glass he brought me "yes, he is very talented".

"Your dad sure likes him too, he told me all about him after he got home from visiting you in New Zealand. He really hopes he will get to walk you down the aisle soon".

"I hope so too, but we don't have any concrete plans yet".

He smiles "well, if you get some, you know I would love to plan everything for you....anywhere. You deserve this so much, Ann".

"Thanks, Colin and I would love for you to plan it".

Lee comes over and takes my hand "sorry to interrupt, Colin, but can I steal her from you?".

"Sure, it was good to talk to you, Ann and so nice to meet you, Lee" and Colin walks over to another group of people.

Lee is still holding my hand, guiding me past the pool and the group of women and I feel the *green with envy stare* from them as we walk by. He leads me over to the bar, hands me a champagne glass and takes one for himself, before leading to the stairs that leads to the deck upstairs. We walk up there and over to the corner, the one that gives a spectacular view of the lights of LA.

"What are we doing, Lee?".

He leans against the railing, spreading his legs apart and pulls me in between them and wraps his arms around him "I just wanted you to myself for a minute, it is almost midnight".

I  lean into him resting my head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat in my ear "really? That sure went fast".

He hugs me tight, balancing the champagne flute in his hand and kisses the top of my head and I tilt my head up so we can share a tender kiss. He smiles at me "I know, but it was a good time. Everyone were so interesting to talk to, it was awesome, I'm glad we got to go".

"Me too".

We stand there in each others arms for a few minutes and the countdown begins downstairs by the pool and when we hit midnight, Lee raises his glass as he looks at me "Happy New Year, Ann. Hope it will be our best ever!".

I touch my glass to his and smile back at him " Me too.! Happy New Year, Lee!".

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it and thanks so much for reading! Your comments and kudos mean the world to me!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning.......but what else is new...

6 weeks later:

Sitting in my office on Stone St. I am looking at some sketches I have done and kind of get lost in thoughts. We returned to New Zealand shortly after the new year and it has been good to be back, feels like home in many ways. We had a great time off with family and friends and our relationship has gotten even deeper. Lee's accident sort of solidified it. I have no doubt we will get married, but no idea when and it doesn't really matter, all that matters is that we are together.

Speaking of marriage, we do have a wedding coming up in a little over a month, Tami and Richard will tie the knot here in New Zealand and I couldn't be more excited for both of them. It will be a very small and private affair, just their closest family and friends. The news of their engagement spread like wildfire once they returned, everyone noticed the gorgeous ring she was wearing and they finally had to come out and be totally open about their relationship, which has been a good thing. They will throw a big dinner party for the cast and crew after and then plan to wed again in England once the movies wrap.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Come in".

Tami enters and plops down in a chair "hey, got a minute?".

I smile at her "always, what's up?.

"This wedding stuff is stressing me out?".

"What part is stressing you out?".

"All of it.....the dress, the flowers, the dinner, all of it. AHHHHHH!".

I take a sip of my water "it will all be fine, your dress is gorgeous- it helps to have friends in costume design. The flowers are taking care of and I thought Richard had just hired the people that do the food here for the dinner?".

"Yes, he did and it will be fine. I just need not to stress about it and even think about it. Are you still totally ok with being my maid of honor?".

"Tami, there is nothing I would rather do, this a big day for you and I am honored to stand by your side. Are you not excited?".

She smiles "I am, it just feels so extravagant and a lot of things to do, just because we love each other".

"You deserve it and it is very small and private, it feels like the wedding you guys should have. It is not like you have hired Colin Cowie and throwing this over the top, lavish wedding".

She laughs "I guess you are right and for the record, I do love all the stuff Colin does".

"I know you do, he can always come and do the one in England".

"I think Rich would die, it is bad enough we decided to do it twice, even though I know deep down, he looks forward to the traditional English countryside wedding".

"Speaking of Rich, I was playing around with wedding bands, so take a look" and I push several sketches across the table to her "tell me what you think?".

She reaches over and takes them all, spreading them out on the table and looking at them "wow, they are all incredible, Ann".

"Thanks. Don't know how fancy he would want it anyway".

"He wont be wearing it all the time anyway, shooting or performing, so it will mostly be when we are home. I even told him we didn't need to get one, but he took offense to that, he said he needed to show everyone he was taken".

"Aww, he is such a dork, just like Lee".

Tami looks at me " Where is he today?".

"He had sword training this morning, they are trying to figure out some battle scenes for the last battle" and I smile "I love how Pete just shoots all three movies in one setting, makes my head spin".

She laughs "I know, I remember the Ring days and we had no clue what movie we were on, we actually still don't".

"True and this afternoon they are meeting on the big stage to do some screen testing with Lee in Thranduil's battle armor. Did you see it yet?".

She nods "I saw the pieces, Richard Taylor showed them to me. They look so beautiful!".

"Did you see this?" and I reach over and open the box sitting on the corner of my desk "this is the circlet he will be wearing with it".

Tami carefully takes it out of the box "Holy wow, Ann...that is stunning" and she puts it back.

"It turned out great" and I focus back on the sketches "anyway, see anything you think he would like?".

Pointing to one "I really like this one" and I take it, it is a hand engraved band with a geometric pattern all the way around.

I grin "that is my favorite too and will sort of match your ring".

She looks at her left hand with the shiny bauble "I still can't believe you guys did this behind my back, but I LOVE it".

"So happy you do, it was nerve wrecking, but Richard was sure as soon as he saw the sketch".

"Well, he has strong opinions when it comes to certain things, like clothes, jewelry etc.".

"He does" and I look at her "by the way, any idea where Lee and Rich went yesterday afternoon? I was still working and Lee insisted he had to go with Rich to do something very important".

Tami avoids my eyes, still looking at the sketch "no idea....I was still getting some dwarves out of their hair and makeup" and she takes a breath and finally looks at me "maybe they were doing stuff for Valentine's Day?".

I groan "Oh please don't remind me that it is today, I hate this holiday and Lee knows that".

"Why?".

"Because it just seems so forced and pretentious. You have to get your significant other something or you are a total failure. I love fresh flowers and chocolate as much as the next girl, but I told Lee I would kill him, if he bought them for me today".

She laughs "Well, I am sure he wont then".

"Rich?".

"He will probably get me something just because he would feel bad if he didn't, but I get what you are saying".

I glance at my watch "I guess I should go track Lee down and see if he wants to head to lunch. He is probably hungry after all that fighting".

She smirks and wiggles her eyebrow "Yeah, hungry for something else than food.......".

I get up and grab my water bottle "whatever Tami" and we both leave my office giggling and she takes off to go find Rich.

Texting Lee as I walk downstairs, but he doesn't answer and when I call it goes straight to voicemail. I look at my phone and see Lee tweeted 30 min. ago and I can't help but smile, it is another epic selfie and he is clearly laying on the bed in the trailer, wearing his ragged white t-shirt, his hair is a mess, looks like he barely got out of the shower "Happy Valentine's Day". I guess I know where to go look for him.

I walk across the lot to the trailers and open the door to Lee's and step in, it is very quiet except from the soft snoring coming from the bedroom. I put the water bottle on the table and make my way towards the noise and there is Lee, on the bed, out cold. He is only wearing that t-shirt and his boxer briefs, he must have come back to shower after the sword training, judging by the wet towel that is thrown on the floor. I shake my head and pick it up, walking to the bathroom and hangs it up to dry.

Making my way back to the bedroom, I just stand a watch him for a second, he is gorgeous. He moves his hand  from where it was resting, causing the shirt to ride up, exposing his abs and part of his chest. My eyes travel over his stomach and fix on the sparse hair peaking up from the waistband of his underwear and for whatever reason it does something to me. I swallow hard when I look at the bulge on the front of his boxer briefs, everything on Lee is big and I love every inch of him. 

Kicking off my sandals, I sit down on the bed next to him and run my hand up his big thigh. He mumbles something and reaches out and rests his hand on my lower back and rubs gently, I rub his stomach, enjoying the feel of his skin under the palm of my hand and I move my hand down and play with the waistband of his underwear. I bend over and place kisses on his stomach and snake my hand into his briefs, gently touching him, feeling him starting to go hard. I grin and lick a trail from his belly button and down, moving the offending boxer briefs down his thighs, carefully to not hurt the goods.

I quickly glance up at Lee, but his eyes are still closed, but I doubt he is asleep anymore. I place a wet kiss on the very tip of him before swirling my tongue around his entire head and he bucks his hips and grabs my waist with the hand he had on my back and he arches his spine and moans "what are you doing, babe?".

"Enjoying you" and I open my mouth and take as much of him in as I can, still moving my tongue over him and sucking, feeling him go even harder. I use my other hand to gently touch his balls and moved it up to the base, wrapping my fingers around him and pumping in rhythm with my mouth. I taste his precum on my tongue and I suck a little harder. Lee has move his hand from my waist and up to the base of my neck, his fingers tangled in my hair and holding me in place, his other hand is grabbing at the sheets and he is a moaning mess "ohh god, Ann, fuck, keep going babe, ohhh" is streaming from his mouth. I love when he is loud and vocal like that, it turns me on.

Bobbing my head up and down and flattening my tongue to apply pressure on the underside of his cock and every time I get to the tip, I swirl my tongue and suck harder. I know he is fighting hard not to buck his hips and I glance up at him, our eyes meeting and I convey to him he can let go, but he shakes his head a and then puts his hands around my arms and pulls me up on top of him. He wraps his long arms around me, one reaching all the way to my butt and the other arm around my shoulder as we meet in a heated kiss. He crosses his legs over mine, trapping me and grinds his hips and I feel his rock hard erection thru my shirt. His cheeks are flushed and his chest heaving up and down from breathing hard.

We have to come up for air and I look at him "why didn't you just let me finish you off? It is ok once in a while to just be selfish".

Lee kisses me again and moves a hand up to cup my chin "I know, but it feels even better when I am inside of you and you are coming with me". He tries to yank my shirt off, but is not very successful. I kiss him before sitting up, straddling him and sliding his shirt all the way up and dipping my head down to kiss and lick his chest, swirling my tongue around each nipple. He dives his hands under my shirt, undoing my bra with one and reaching up and taking hold of each of my breasts. I manage to yank his shirt over his head and he lifts his arms so I can pull it off.

He looks at me "you are very much overdressed" and I stand up and smile at him, he is naked besides his underwear that is sitting somewhere mid thigh. I reach down and slide it all the way off his legs, leaving him totally exposed and very aroused.

I can't help but let my eyes roam over him as I quickly shed my blouse, bra and unbutton and step out of my pants and underwear. I feel myself get even wetter when my eyes fall on his cock, rock hard against his stomach and he reaches his hand out and yanks me back down on top of him. We both moan is pleasure as we meet skin to skin and his hands are on my butt, pressing me against him as he moves his hips. I tangle my fingers in his hair as we devour each other with our mouths and I can't take it anymore, I need him now. I let go of his hair and prop myself up as he looks at me, eyes dark with desire and I straddle him again. I reach town and take hold of him, rubbing his tip against me a few times, causing him to grunt "fuck, Ann". 

Lee takes hold of either side of my hips with his big hands, I feel his fingers digging into my flesh and he waits impatiently as I guide him into me. I try to look at him, but squeeze my eyes shut in pure pleasure as I feel his big head and hard shaft penetrating me and I moan when I finally sink all the way down "ohhh, Lee, this is so good".

We lock eyes and he wiggles an eyebrow "oh yeah, then how does this feel" and he starts to lift me up and slamming me back down on his cock, thrusting he hips and I help him move. I brace myself with my hands on his chest and he lets go of my hip with one hand so he can reach up and caress my breast, making sure to stroke my nipple. I am riding him hard, panting and he is mess underneath me, grunting every time time I slide down on him "ohh god, Ann...fuck, I love when you ride my cock".

Slowing down a bit and leaning forward a little, he knows what I need and reaches between us and find my clit, letting his thumb slide over it in rhythm with my hips moving. I tighten my internal muscles around him and it doesn't take long, my entire body tenses up and then I am there, coming hard and grinding my hips into his as I throw my head back and cry out his name "Lee!"

He moves both hands to my hips as I contract around him and he follows me over the edge with a final thrust, flooding me with his hot release and a final shout "oh fuck". He holds me firmly to him as he rides it out and I collapse on his chest. I wrap my arms around his sweaty shoulders and I bury my face in his neck as he hugs me back, nuzzling my neck with his mouth and whispering in my ear "I love you, Ann".

I lift my head and kiss him with tenderness, looking into his eyes "I love you more, Lee". 

He touches my face with his fingertips "how did I get so lucky, to come here to do this movie and meeting you?".

Running my fingers over his forehead, I look back at him and smile " I think some things are meant to be and this was one of them".

We lay there for a few more minutes, I put my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat and he lazily runs his hands up and down my back.

Lee brushes a few strands of hair away from my face and kisses my forehead "Happy Valentine's Day, babe".

I look up at him "Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Lee. I hope this was the present and you didn't get anything else".

He smiles "Don't worry, I didn't......I know you don't like this holiday and I get it, you should tell the people you love every day, that they are important and loved".

I prop myself up with one arm "Exactly and that is what I love about us, I know you love me and you tell me at random times, not just because it is some commercial holiday". I look at the clock on the shelf by the bed "Lee, we better go get something to eat, you are due in hair and makeup in an hour and then on to battle armor screen test".

He rubs his face "I know, but I would rather stay here in bed with you".

I kiss him one more time and then untangle myself from him and giving him a hand to get up "Me too, but duty calls". We get dressed slowly while stealing a kiss, touch or hug along the way. We walk across the lot hand in hand and into the canteen to get something to eat. There seem to be a few more people there than usual and Orlando and Evangeline are there too, even though I don't recall them having any filming today. We join them along with Richard and Tami and have a great lunch.

After lunch Lee heads to hair and makeup and I go back to my office to grab the circlet and walk over to the makeup trailer. Lee's ears and wig are on by the time I get there, he smiles at me in the mirror and I give him a quick kiss "hey".

Tami rolls her eyes as she starts to apply makeup and I sit down in the chair next to Lee. I look at Tami in the mirror, Lee has his eyes closed "so why are Leggy and Evi here today?".

She doesn't look at me, but is concentrating on Lee's face "I don't know, maybe they were just too lazy to cook lunch today?".

"Did you notice there were a few more people there today?".

She shrugs "no, not really".

Lee pipes up "me neither" and he opens his eyes and looks at me.

Looking back at him, I notice his eyes "Lee, don't you need your grey contacts in?".

"No..not today, my eyes are bugging me and Pete said it was fine to leave them out" and he looks away. He seems kind of nervous or jittery, but maybe it is just me.

Tami gets all done "there, the mighty King Thranduil has emerged, except his eyes" and I look at his face in the mirror, he does look different, but has a lot softer look without the contacts.

I open the box with the circlet "ready, Tami?".

"Yep" and we carefully put in on his head, Tami making sure his hair stays perfectly smooth under it. I am pinning in on the inside, he will be fighting with it, so we need to make sure it stays on.

"Does it feel ok?".

"Yeah, yeah, it is fine. It does look pretty cool, nice job, babe".

Smiling at him, I hold a mirror up behind him "Thanks and look at the back, how it is woven together and the light wig makes it stand out".

Tami interrupts 'You better get your ass out of here, Lee. Richard Taylor is waiting along with costume people to get you into the armor".

He gets up "thanks Tami" and he reaches for my hand "coming with me?".

"Sure" and I look at Tami "are you coming to watch?".

She grins "You bet, I want to see Lee swing those two swords at once".

"Lets hope he doesn't kill anyone".

He drags me out of there "you two, enough!".

...................................................................................

I am sitting in a chair off the main sound stage, watching Richard Taylor and the costume team put Thranduil's battle armor on Lee. The darkened metallic gray armor is so beautiful, all the scroll work on the shoulder pads and the same patterns on the breast plate and the lower arm shields. The belt that holds it together along with the longer coat under are equally as beautiful, but what makes the entire thing pop is the cape draped over his shoulders, grey velvet lined with the most gorgeous red. They get done and Lee stands tall and they are look at him and Richard Taylor has a big grin on his face "wow, guys you did an amazing job" and Peter Jackson happens to walk by "Pete, what do you think of the final product?".

Peter stops and looks "amazing, hats off to all of you and Lee, you look really good. Now come swing those deadly swords and let us see what it looks like on screen".

Lee comes over and I smile "you look amazingly regal right now" and he takes my hand and I look down at his hand "what about the gloves?".

"I will put them on later, I need to get a feel for swinging those swords around first with my bare hands".

We walk towards the big sound stage and when we get there it is full of people, which I find really odd. This is just a screen test and tomorrow is the weekend, so most of the shooting has wrapped for the week. Tami and Richard are there and so are all the dwarves it seems, along with Leggy and Evi. The guy that made the first sword for Thranduil comes over and hands Lee the two blades and he walks up to Pete on the platform, they have sort of built a mini set of Dale after it was destroyed, lots of green screen behind them. They talk quietly and look at Pete's papers. 

I walk over to Richard and Tami and look at them both "why is everyone here today?".

They both give me a look and Richard shrugs "I think we all just want to see Lee swing those swords".

Pete leaves the platform and goes in his tent, so he can see all the camera angles. 6-7 people dressed up as orcs are up there too and Lee is talking to them for a few minutes before Pete gets on the microphone "ok guys, now try and run at him and Lee, do your thing, go thru all the motions you have practiced and we will see how it looks.  And action".

The orcs charges and Lee is actually kneeling, because he supposedly has just fallen off his big elk. He slowly raises himself and then goes into action and he looks very scary and spectacular at the same time, as he swings those elegant blades with such precision and force. It is a sight to behold. Pete yells out "good, good, that was great guys" and Lee and the orcs stop for a minute.

I turn to Tami "holy wow".

"I know, it looks so cool".

I am about to say something else to her, but then hear my name coming from the mic and Pete's voice "Ann, would you be a dear and jump up there for a minute? Just want to see the size scale and I think we have determined you are about dwarf size".

Pete is in the tent, so I can't really argue with him, so I walk up there and the orcs step to the side. I shake my head as I meet Lee and he smiles and takes my hand. He holds my gaze for a minute and Pete yells "and action" on the mic and I am so confused when Lee drops to one knee and fishes for something under his cape.

My brain takes a second to register that he is kneeling in front of me with an open, very familiar box in one hand while he is still holding on to my hand with his other one. I gasp and put my right hand over my mouth and I feel the tears " Oh..Lee...".

He locks eyes with me and clears his throat "Ann, I never thought I would find someone like you. I never thought that coming here to be part of these magical movies would change my life forever. I love you more than you will ever know! I would be honored if you would be my wife. Ann..." and his voice cracks "will you marry me?".

I am gripping his hand so tight and try to look at him as the tears roll down my cheeks, sure glad I didn't bother with makeup today. I see his eyes well up as his voice cracks and I nod as a single tear rolls down his cheek and I reach over to wipe it and finally find my ability to speak again "yes!" and we embrace as loud cheers are heard from all around us and Pete comes on the mic "we can check the gate on that one, she said yes! Congratulations guys!".

Lee has the biggest grin on his face and we meet in a passionate kiss as the cheering and the cat calls continue. We break and I grin back at him thru my tears. He is still kneeling and he takes the ring out of the box and slides it on my left ring finger "I hope you love it, babe".

Looking at my left hand, the tears gets worse, the ring is beyond stunning and I know the diamond in the center is the one that use to belong to my mom. The heart shaped ruby on either side have the perfect red color and the ring is so intricate with all the branches coming up to hold the stones and the tiny leaves studded with diamonds. I lift his hand up, indicating he can get up from his position and I throw my arms around him "I love it, Lee, it is stunning. I think you had help".

"I did and he was thrilled to do it" and we turn to face everyone and I see my dad, Suzanne and Lee's parents standing by Orlando, Richard and Tami. 

Speechless I look at Lee and he explains "that is what Rich and I were doing yesterday afternoon, picking them up in the airport and smuggling them to the hotel".

We walk down and my dad embraces me "oh honey, I am so happy for you".

I hug him back "thanks dad and the ring turned out gorgeous".

He hugs Lee " very nice job".

Suzanne hugs me "congratulations girl, that was so wonderful".

"I can't believe he pulled this off".

His mom is wiping tears as she hugs me and her son "congratulations, you both deserve this so much".

His dad is next and he hugs me tight "so thrilled to get a daughter in law" and he embraces his son "you deserve this".

We make it to Tami and Richard and they hug us both, Tami is bawling her eyes out and Richard's eyes are a little misty as he speaks for both of them "congratulations guys, so so happy for you both".

Hugging Tami tight "did you know about all of this?".

"Yeah, I did. I think we all knew, that is why so many of us are here today, they wouldn't miss this for the world, including Leggy".

I look at Orlando and he is trying to hide his tears and I hug him "are you crying?",

He sniffles "no", but then gives up "yes dammit, I am just so happy for you, Ann.....this was a long time coming".

"I know and thank you for all your love and support".

He hugs Lee "Congrats man, she deserves to have someone like you".

It takes a while to receive all the hugs and congrats from everyone, many of them people I have known since the Ring days.

 Lee is helped out of his costume and hair, ears and makeup removed. He makes a quick trip to the trailer to clean up and put on some descent clothes for going out. He comes running back and we are finally in the car, looking at each other and I laugh "holy wow, that was crazy".

Smiling at me he reaches for my left hand "still hate Valentine's Day?".

"Not as much" and I look at our intertwined hands and the sparkling ring on my finger "it is gorgeous, Lee! Did my dad find the design in the files?".

"Yeah, the day I was hit by the car, I actually went to your dad's before my real meeting and asked for your hand and he went digging and found it. He kept me updated and carried the ring with him when he got here yesterday".

'So you didn't actually see it until yesterday?" and we drive towards the restaurant, so we can enjoy dinner with my dad and Lee's parents to celebrate.

"No I didn't, your dad sent me picture, but as you know, not the same. I was a nervous wreck, but when I opened the box in his hotel room yesterday, I knew it was good".

I look down on my left hand, still not quite believing Lee just pulled off an epic proposal and this ring was given to me as a symbol of his love. I move my hand around "It is just unbelievably stunning, our jeweler knocked it out of the park".

"Well, it wasn't without trials, when he first tried to make it, all the branches looked all weird and a mess. I thought I was going to have a stroke when your dad called me, but he assure me it would be ok".

Studying the side of the ring I nod "that gallery is hard to get right, it will either look incredible elegant or like a complete mess. He got it right in the end and those rubies, holy wow".

He grins at me "So relieved you love it, babe".

"I do, but not as much as I love you".

He squeezes my hand "I love you too, Ann".

............................................................................................................

We are sitting at a round table enjoying dinner at the Italian restaurant Lee and I went to on our first date. My dad, Suzanne and his parents have joined us and we are just talking and eating some great food and having some good wine.

My dad looks at us "so when is the wedding?".

Lee and I exchange a look and I swallow my food "no idea, dad. Lee just proposed an hour ago".

"I know, but will you have it here, home or in Texas?".

His mom looks at us "you are more than welcome to have it on the farm, you can marry by the pond".

I smile and look at Lee "that might be nice and a little different".

Lee looks at his dad "we can built an arch with some logs there".

He nods "that would be cool".

My dad pipes up "that sounds really great, but will you still use Colin Cowie for the event?".

"Probably, dad, that way it will be less hassle and stress for any of us or Lee's folks".

His mom looks at both of us "when is the next real break in filming?".

Lee thinks for a minute and I answer "He gets a 3 weeks break in May and we were planning on coming home then".

His dad smiles "perfect, the weather will be nice, but not too hot yet".

I look at them all wide eyed "that is like 2 1/2 months away".

Suzanne finally speaks "you can do it, Ann...with Colin's help you can pull it off or you will have to wait a while".

Lee touches my hand on the table "I don't think we want to do that".

We continue talking and enjoy our dinner.

When we finally get back in the car and I look at Lee "I guess we have a wedding to plan".

He leans over and kisses me "you mean, you have a wedding to plan. Just tell me what to wear and when to be there and I will show up".

I grab his face with both my hands "very funny Mr. Pace.....you will have to be a little more involved than that".

Lee kisses me again and wiggle his eyebrow "ok fine, but I guess it will be worth it in order to make you Mrs. Pace".

I lick his lower lip before kissing him again "Mrs. Pace....I like that".

"Me too". 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and kudos, means so much to me. This is almost to the end and I will be sad.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise.....smut warning.

About a month later:

I am standing in the bathroom putting on makeup and I am almost as nervous as the bride at the moment. Tami is next to me and doing her own makeup and trying not to pass out. I look at her in the mirror "you ok?".

She gives me a weak smile "yeah, I think so".

Her mom peaks in "Tami, you need to eat a little more, honey".

"I know mom, but don't know if i can".

Putting my mascara down, I grab her hand and drag her in the master bedroom "Your mom is right, just take a break and come sit down".

She follows me and reluctantly sits down at the little pop up table that has been set up in the corner. This is Philippa's house and she has graciously just let us take over. I sit down too and Tami's mom joins us and we all eat a sandwich and some fruit, washing it down with some ice water. I look at her "why are you nervous?".

"I don't know....it is probably more excitement, I never thought this would actually happen to me".

I smile at her "well, it is happening and nobody deserves it more than you"

Her mom chimes in "exactly, so just enjoy every moment, this is your day with Richard".

We finish eating and Tami sighs "thanks, I do feel better".

Her mom gets up "good. Are you ready to get in your dress?".

Tami stands up "I guess so, but let me run to the bathroom first".

I laugh "good idea".

Her mom walks over to the dress and then looks at me "thanks for being such a wonderful friend to her, Ann. You are like sisters".

Hugging her mom "yes we are and thank you for always treating me like your own".

"Awww, of course, honey. I will never forget when we first met you, Tami dragged you home to us and we sat up and talked for half the night".

Tami comes back out and walks over to us "ok, I don't know how i am going to do this".

Her mom takes the dress down from the hanger "very carefully".

We hold the dress out and she steps in it and we pull it up and she gets her arms in the sleeves and we can zip it up in the back, grateful that the costume department made it, so we don't have to button all the tiny buttons going down the back of the gown. It is a gorgeous heavy silk satin gown, kind of looks like it dates back a ways, the sleeves are half length and folded over each other, giving them an interesting detail. The neckline is cut almost like a sweetheart and it frames Tami's face beautifully. The delicate embroidery around the neckline is repeated on the sleeves and all around the edge of the skirt, which drapes from her waist. It is simple yet very elegant and so like her. Her hair is pulled softly back and a lace edged veil is attached in the back of her head by a sparkling, diamond butterfly clip, a wedding gift from my dad.

Her mom steps back and gets teary eyed "ohh Tami".

"Mom stop or we will all cry".

I blink a couple of times "You look gorgeous" and I hug her.

She walks over to the mirror on the inside of the walk in closet door and looks "wow".

Her mom brings the slingback sandals so Tami can put them on, giving her a little height and she looks breathtakingly beautiful and I can't wait for Richard to see his bride. 

I go looking for my heels and find the raw silk pumps dyed to match my dusty rose lace dress. Tami doesn't have any sisters, so I am her maid of honor. I look my watch "let me go check on the boys and hunt down your bouquet, Rich and Lee were in charge on picking that up along with the boutonnieres for the grooms men. Be back in a few".

Peaking out the door to make sure he wont get a glimpse of her, I walk out and look around for them. The kitchen is abuzz with a team, prepping dinner for the wedding guests after the ceremony. I glance out on the deck and the weather looks perfect, sun is out and not wind. Chairs are set up out there and two big pots are overflowing with flowers right by the railing, they will get married here, overlooking the ocean at sunset. Tami's family pastor will do the honors. Chairs are also set up in the big family room and decorated with more gorgeous flowers. There are only about 40 invited to this ceremony. Tomorrow there will be a giant party on Stone Street's biggest sound stage for everyone else.

Philippa comes around the corner and smiles "you look stunning, Ann. Has Lee seen you yet?".

"No, but I am looking for him and Rich".

"They are downstairs in the bedroom and tv room along with Rich's family, he is a wreck right now".

I smile "just like his bride".

Walking down the stairs, I can hear people quietly talking and they come into view as I descent, Richard's mom and dad are sitting on the big couch visiting. I really like his family, so unassuming and nice people.

I hug them and look at his mom "where is Richard and Lee?".

She nods towards the bedroom "in there along with Richard's brother, he is trying to calm Rich down".

I go over and knock "Lee, it's me, open the door please. I need Tami's bouquet".

The door swings open and Lee smiles at me and it gets wider as I walk in, he takes me in his arms and kisses me, I try to wiggle away from him "Stop it, Lee, you will ruin my makeup", but he doesn't care and keeps going. He finally has to take a breath and we break "I am here to get the bouquet".

Lee holds me out from him and looks at me "you look beautiful, babe". He is wearing a black suit with a vest and a dusty rose tie. 

"You look very handsome" and I look around "how is the groom?" and I try not to laugh when my eyes fall on Richard, he is sitting in a chair, looking a little pale and with a panicked look on his face. His brother is sitting next to him, hand on his leg and talking to him.

Lee walks over to Richard and pats his back "he's alright, right Rich?".

Richard looks at me "I think so. How is Tami?".

"Stunning, can't wait for you to see her".

The thought of his bride seems to ease his mind a bit and he smiles "Me neither and you look lovely, Ann".

"Thanks. Did you guys get the flowers?".

Lee walks to the attached bathroom "they are in here, we didn't know what to do with them, so we stuck them in the bathtub".

"You did what?"

He brings the bouquet out, beautifully bound with dusty pink roses, baby's breath, greenery and a single stem of white orchids hanging down. The handle is bound with antique lace. He hands it to me "we thought it would be out of the way".

I roll my eyes "men".

Lee swats my butt "hey now".

Looking at them "are you ready?".

Richard gets up and goes over to his suit bag and takes a box out "will you please give this to Tami and tell her to open it now". I recognize the box, but no idea what is in it. I hug him and kiss him on the cheek "will do and you will be fine, Richard".

"Thanks" and he starts to pace the floor.

I walk over to Lee and he leans down to kiss me "see you in a few, babe".

Making my way back upstairs I run into my dad and Suzanne, the guests have started to arrive and are taking their seats on the deck. My dad smiles big "hey honey, you look beautiful".

I hug him back 'thanks, dad. Any idea what is in this?" and I hold up the box given to me by Richard.

"Yes, I made them for him and delivered them to him yesterday. Go give them to her now".

Quickly hugging Suzanne, I make my way back to the bedroom. I open the door and Tami is standing by the window, talking to her mom and looking calmer. She smiles and I hand her the bouquet "isn't it gorgeous?".

She smells the roses "so pretty".

I give her the box "this is from Richard and he wants you to open it now". She looks confused and I take her bouquet, so she can open it.

First she reads the small note sitting on top and starts to tear up and she gasps when she opens the box "ohh Rich" and her mom and I take a peak: inside the box are the most beautiful earrings with round blue sapphires and diamonds, designed to match her ring. "I can't believe he did that".

"I can...he  worships the ground you walk on, I guess he asked my dad to do them".

Tami puts them on and I go get her dad, so he can walk her down the aisle. Her mom is escorted to her seat by Richard's dad. Tami's dad steps in the room and burst into tears when he sees her "ohh, Tami, you look amazing". We are all wiping tears and I peak to make sure everyone is seated out on the deck and see Richard standing up there with his brother.

The music starts, everyone rises as the glass doors swing open and Tami and her dad walk down the aisle. I follow behind, making sure her dress doesn't get caught on anything. I tear up when I see the look on Richard's face as he sees her for first time, he smiles big and then has to reach for his handkerchief and wipe a few tears, his brother puts a supportive hand on his shoulder. I smile at Lee as I get to the front, he is seated next to my dad and Suzanne and get the biggest grin back.

I take Tami's bouquet so she can hold Richard's hands as they recite their wows. I glance at Lee as those words are spoken, knowing we will repeat them in a little over a month. He locks eyes with me and I know we are both reflecting on that. They exchange rings, the wide, hand engraved band for him and a skinny, diamond eternity band for her and can finally share their first kiss as husband and wife. She turns to get her bouquet and the sheer joy on her face makes my heart melt and Richard looks like he just won the lottery. He raises their joint hands in triumph as they walk down the aisle.

We spent a lovely evening with them and their families, eating some good food and drinking great wine. 

.......................................................................................................................................................

I am dead to the world, we finally got back to our place at 3am, after we helped clean up and put stuff away, so Philippa could have her home back. We pretty much just collapsed on the bed when we got home.

Slowly becoming aware of someone kissing my neck and running their hands over my body, I cover my head with the sheet and mumbles "so tired...". 

Lee just snuggles closer and pulls me flush to his body, spooning me from behind "I know, babe, just go back to sleep" and then proceeds to lick my ear.

I groan "Lee!".

He breathes in my ear "what?" and then runs his enormous paw up my side and reaches around and cups my breast.

Trying to resist giving into his game, I put my hand over his, trying to hold it in place "how am I suppose to sleep when you are trying to get me all worked up".

Licking my ear again, he presses himself into my back, making me even more aware of his erection, straining in his underwear and he whines "it's been too long, babe...we were too tired yesterday and that has been the story of our lives the past while".

He is right, it has been crazy. I am trying to plan a wedding that will take place on the other side of the world, buy diamonds and design rings, finish designs for the movies and Lee has been so busy shooting. Lots of training and time on the set, we are lucky if we even see each other for more than 5 minutes and when we finally get home, it is a struggle to get dinner on the table-I try to have dinner ready since he is often later from filming. We end up on the couch and that is our time to talk and reconnect, hear about each others day and then we are too exhausted to do anything else, often falling asleep there until one of us has the wits to get the other one in bed.

I have to smile when I hear him whine like that, it is not often he does it, but I find it endearing and have no defense against it. Turning around to face him, I smile and give him a soft kiss and he runs his hands down my back and drags me on top of him. I feels his hard cock pressing into my stomach and I can't help but grind my hips and earning a moan from him.

He grabs my butt and thrust his hips, kissing me with passion and I return the kiss and wrap my arms around him. Lust takes over and things escalate quickly. He rolls us over and practically rips my panties off and I desperately try to get his underwear pulled down. He manages to get rid of the offending undergarment and we both moan when his cock settles between my folds.

I look up at him as he is hovering over me and I see desire, lust and love reflected in Lee's eyes and he kisses me again "fuck, I want you right now".

Letting my tongue explore his mouth and my hands roam over his shoulder and chest, we finally break, both panting and I return this gaze "I want you too, Lee". He thrusts slowly, dragging his entire length over my slick folds and I moan when his swollen head caresses my clit "ohh, just fuck me".

I reach down and guide him into me and he tries to maintain eye contact when he penetrates me, but the pleasure is too much and he squeezes his eyes shut for a moment and pants in my ear "ohh god, you feel tight. I'm sorry if this wont last very long".

Biting his lower lip, I grab his head with both my hands "I don't care, just fuck me senseless, I have missed this".

He starts thrusting hard and fast, his breathing coming in ragged grunts "me too". He is holding himself up by one arm as he reaches down with his other and caress my breast and follows up by flicking his tongue over my nipple. 

Slowly down a bit, he continues to attend to my breast and nipple and I start clenching my internal muscles as he makes sure to grind his hips so his pubic bone is brushing against my clit. He reaches for my hand with his and we clasp them together, intertwining our fingers just as our bodies are at the moment and resting them somewhere on the mattress above my head. The other hand is still busy playing with my breast and nipples while he continues to slowly thrusts into me, he dips down and kisses me again and then licks my ear "come for me, babe".

I have missed this so much and his cock feels so good as he fucks me slowly, caressing my walls and it doesn't take too long, my clit is so swollen and being touched by his pubic bone and I feel the orgasm building as I arch up so my hips can meet his, my free hand holding onto his butt. Lee feels the change and when I throw my head back, he moves his hand from my breast and down to my butt, grabbing around my cheek with his long fingers and he starts thrusting hard, pounding into me. The slight change in the angle does it as he goes just a bit deeper and I climax, my walls contracting around his rock hard cock and I scream his name "ohh god Lee!". 

He prolongs my pleasure by thrusting as deep he can, he grips my hand tighter and follows me over the edge, coming hard and groaning "ohh fuck" as he empties everything he has into me. Collapsing on top of me, I wrap my arm tightly around him as he buries his head in my neck and tries to catch his breath "ohh god that was good".

I can't help but smile at his words and I kiss his neck and he props himself up on an elbow and brings our intertwined hands to his lips, kissing my knuckles and then leaning down for a passionate kiss. I look at him "I second that...it had been too long".

Lee looks at me with serious eyes "I know, but that is the way life goes sometimes".

Nodding, I touch his face as he slowly lets go of my hand "it is and we both know that".

He grabs my face with both his hands as he lovingly caresses my cheekbone "I love you so much, Ann".

"I love you more, Lee" and we meet in a tender kiss.

He rolls us over, so I am not being crushed and I lay my head on his chest as he rubs my back and we both enjoy this intimate moment, something that has been rare with the craziness in our lives.

Lee kisses the top of my head "Hmmm.....this is good".

I snuggle into him "I know, we should stay like this all day".

"Well we could, we are not expected at Stone St. until tonight for the wedding-engagement-wedding party".

Glancing up at him "how exactly did you and Rich decide we should just have one big party?".

"We just got talking about the crazy schedule and that is was nuts and stupid to have two different wedding parties so close together".

"I'm glad you did, less stress for everyone and we should probably go over there and help set up, I know you guys hired crew to do it all, but still".

He kisses my forehead "probably" and he looks at me "do I dare ask how everything else is going? Are we set?".

I prop myself up so I can look at him "I think so, I trust Colin, so I just sign off on the things he sends to me for approval, but it will be fairly low key. I will get a better idea once I meet him in Texas at your parents house in a week to finalize it all and then I have one day to find a dress".

"Why didn't you have costume design here just do it, I know they offered and Tami's was beautiful".

"It was, but very different from what I want and the nightmare of trying to bring it home. I am just so grateful your sister has a girlfriend that owns a bridal shop. I told her what I was looking for and she is pulling dresses in".

"My mom is so thrilled she gets to do this with you and my sister".

Sadness passes over my face for a moment "I'm just grateful she wants to do it, since my mom is not here".

Lee looks at me with tenderness "I honestly don't know what to say to that...it is sad".

"It is, but life goes on. I was old enough when she passed that we spent time talking about it and the one thing that stuck with me, be happy and live your life, that is what she wanted me to do".

He pulls me in for a hug and we snuggle for a bit like that.

I slowly wake up 30 min. later and realize we fell asleep again. Lee is still asleep, hugging me tightly and I am sure my neck is all messed up since I was sleeping on him at a weird angle. Our bodies are kind of sweaty and it feels like we are glued together. I move a bit and he lazily opens his eyes and groans "I think we fell asleep".

Kissing him again, I run my hand thru his hair that is currently a total mess "I think so too and I think we are stuck together".

Lee grins "I can think of worse things in life".

"I agree, but we should get going for the day".

We finally find the strength to get out of bed and hit the shower, throwing on some sweats until we have to get dressed for the party. We spent a lazy day at home, just relishing in being together and not have much to do. 

Sitting on the couch, I scroll thru my iPad, looking at the stuff Colin sent over and a few dress suggestions. Lee comes in, so I put it away, he flops down on the couch and looks at me a little nervous "can I talk to you for a minute?".

I take his hand "sure, what's going on?".

He shows me his other hand, holding my birth control pills "do you need to keep taking these?".

"I don't know, do I?".

He is usually such a goof ball, but I love that when it comes to certain things, he can be deadly serious and put so much thought into it. He looks at me and squeezes my hand "not if it is up to me.....I think we both know the door is closing, so I say we either go for it or decide that it was not meant to be for us".

"I agree and I have thought a lot about it lately. We might need to at least try and see what happens and it might not happen. My mom had problems and there is a reason I ended up as an only child".

Kissing the knuckles on my hand "whatever happens or not happens, at least we tried and I know it will mean our lives would change and we would have to find a more permanent base to call home".

"And it might mean that you need to evaluate the kind of roles you take on, are you ok with that?".

"I have always been ok with that....I see how much my parents sacrificed to raise us and it is something I am more than willing to do".

"That is why I love you, Lee" and I lean over to kiss him.

"I love you too, Ann, but can I tell you I am a little scared?".

"Why?".

"Because I want to be a great dad".

"You will be".

He puts his arm around me and I snuggle into his shoulder and we sit on the couch and wonder what the future might hold.

A couple of hours later, the serious talk is almost forgotten along with how Lee had ceremoniously thrown my pills in the trash, as we rush around trying to get dressed for the evening. We are just wearing the same clothes from yesterday, the dusty rose lace dress and Lee in his black suit with his dusty rose tie. Tami and Richard will wear their wedding attire, at least for part of the party.

We get to Stone St. and enjoy a great, great evening with friends and family, lots of good food and great dancing and music. Richard turns into an animal on the dance floor once he has had a few glasses of wine, to the great surprise and amusement of the guests. Tami and him are having a great time out there. Lee and I just enjoy visiting with everyone and receive their well wishes and congratulations.

Lee doesn't dance, but when Garth Brooks' "To make you feel my love" comes on, I drag him out there and he takes me in his arms as we slowly sway to the music. He looks at me "I love you future Mrs. Pace".

I smile back at him "I love you more, Mr. Pace" and we meet in a tender kiss.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and your kind comments and kudos!  
> There will be one more chapter and then this story will come to an end, but I have very much loved writing it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter and sorry it is so long, but I didn't have the heart to break it up! And there is smut:0)

A month later:

I am running on the treadmill in the gym, trying to get my cardio in and keep my nerves under wraps. This is the big day, the day Lee and I will get to say "I do" to each other. We got back from New Zealand 4 days ago and it has been a bit hectic since. We have rented lots of room at the Grand Hyatt in town to accommodate out of town guests, mainly family and a few close friends. We already had a party in New Zealand and we will have another one in LA before we fly back to NZ. 

I haven't seen Lee for two days now and it is killing me, we are so use to being together every day. We agreed not to talk or text either, just because and it has been hard. We had dinner with Tami and Richard after they got in and then he left to go stay with his brother until the wedding. I slept at the hotel and that is why I am at the gym here right now. I get done running and go back to the room for a quick shower and then put on some pink yoga pants and a tank top along with the very cheesy zip up hoodie Orlando sent me in the mail the other day. It is white and it says in sparkling letters on the back "Soon to be Mrs. Pace". I just towel my hair off and let it hang loose for now, Tami will work her magic later. 

Walking down the hall to Rich and Tami's room, I check my phone, but nothing from Lee, I guess he is being strong. I have been so tempted to just sent a text. I think he will to go running and then have lunch with his dad, brother, brother in law and Richard. We are getting married late afternoon, so it is nice to have most of the day. I knock on the door to their room.

Tami answers "it's open".

I open the door and enter their room and she is sitting on the couch, just relaxing "Hey Tami".

She gets up to hug me "hey yourself. Are you ready?".

"I think so.....everything is at the house".

"I can't wait to see your dress, you sent pictures, but it is not the same".

"No, it isn't".

Richard comes out of the bathroom and comes over to kiss my cheek "ready for today?" and he then proceeds to kiss his wife.

"Yes, it is nice to have someone else worry about it all, Colin has been fantastic".

"I bet, Tami keeps talking about him....maybe we need to hire him when we get married in England".

"You should, he is great and you don't really have to worry". Our eyes meet for a second "Richard, it seems so plain to just say thank you, but we are so grateful you agreed to play the cello at our wedding, it means so much to us".

He blushes slightly "You are more than welcome, but I hope it sounds ok".

Tami pipes up "would you stop it, Rich. You have practiced until you were blue in the face and we all know you don't do anything half way".

I pat him on the arm "exactly, but seriously, we are honored".

"I am the one that is flattered, I was surprised when Lee asked me".

"Well, we are just using all the talents around us" and I look at Tami "including hair and make up".

Tami smiles "of course, I am thrilled to do it. Did you get your nails done?".

I hold out my hands "yes yesterday. I just did my natural nails, I hate those fake acrylic kind and had her do a very soft pink".

"So pretty and simple".

Richard rolls his eyes "ok....I am going to leave now, I don't want to hear about nails, hair, flowers etc. I am going to go eat some manly food with the guys".

Tami playfully swats at him "hey".

He grabs her from behind and holds her hands so she can't move and kisses her neck "see you in a bit, darling" and he lets her go so she can turn around and kiss him properly. 

She looks at him with so much love "bye, Rich".

I quickly kiss his cheek "where are you guys going, the Flying Pig?".

He lifts an eyebrow "how do you know that".

"Because it is Lee's favorite local joint. you are in for a treat, it is really good".

"Sounds awesome, bye ladies" and he leaves.

Tami looks at me and sighs "he is so great".

I roll by eyes "you better think that, he is your husband".

"That still sounds weird to me".

"Well, get use to it, your passport says *Tami Lane Armitage* doesn't it?".

She nods "yep, but still odd. Just wait until you have to sign your name *Lily Ann Pace*, then you will get it. Anyway, we need to head to the farm for lunch" and we walk out the door.

We have a lovely lunch at Lee's parents house on the patio, arranged by Colin. Lee's mom, sister, Suzanne and Tami join me along with Lee's little nieces, they will serve as flower girls later today and they were so excited to be wearing princess dresses.

................................................................................................................

About the same time:

The guys have just finished lunch and Lee is sitting in his dad's truck with Richard. He seems moody and antsy, which is not normal for him. Richard looks at him "what's eating at you, Lee?".

He looks at his hands and shrugs "I don't want to talk about it".

"C'om Lee, what is it? Your brother said you have pretty much been a moody asshole since yesterday. Getting cold feet?".

Lee shoots Richard a mortified look "oh god, NO! It is just silly and stupid and I feel dumb and juvenile about it, so.......".

"Spill the beans, man".

He looks down and fiddles with his hands "I just....I miss Ann and it is killing me I haven't seen her for 2 days. We have been away from each other before, but this is worse since I know she is right here".

Richard lets out a hearty laugh "that's it?".

Lee looks embarrassed "yeah and I know it is stupid".

"Just a tiny bit, but also really nice you feel that way about her. So why don't you go see her?".

"I can't....we made a decision and I don't want to break tradition and all that jazz. Besides, I am sure your wife is guarding her at all times".

Richard grabs his shoulder "sometimes rules need to be broken, remember.......you told me that yourself on more than one occasion, so if you really want to go see her, I am sure we can figure it out. As for my wife, I am sure I can distract her for a bit" and he wiggles his eyebrow.

Lee groans "I don't want to hear about that...haven't gotten any for over a week now, with all the travel, jet lag etc".

"Seriously, you are not going to enjoy this wedding of yours if you don't go see her, you will be uptight and stressed. C'om....drive to the farm and we will make a plan".

He reluctantly turns on the truck, gives Richard a doubtful look and starts heading towards his parents home.

............................................................................................................................

Tami and I are walking towards the new guest house Lee's parents had built. They decided after Thanksgiving that it would be nice to have more room and maybe a little more privacy, so they built the cutest little guest house over by the barn. It is made of logs, has a darling front porch with lots of flowers in pots. There is a small patio on the back, overlooking the lake with two rocking chairs and inside is everything you need to be cozy. A sitting area with a fireplace, a big king size bed and a small tea kitchen with a sink and fridge. The bathroom is a dream with a tub surrounded by windows, inlaid with stained glass depicting wild life, double sinks and a big block glass shower. 

Lee and I stayed here before he went to his brother's and we will sleep here tonight-we will honeymoon later somewhere. Our suitcases are in the walk in closet and I just took a few things to the hotel. I hang my dress in the the closet, it is still in the garment bag. We will take it out once we get closer to getting ready. Tami drops all the makeup stuff in the bathroom on the big counter. We both plop down on the couch and I take a deep breath.

She looks at me "you ok?".

"Yeah, it is just so weird the day is finally here".

Looking out at the lake before she looks back at me "time goes by fast and I think everything is ready. Did Lee help built that log arch out there?".

"He did, we got in and Lee, his brother and dad went to work on it".

"It will look so beautiful once they get all the flowers on it".

I snort "I think we blew the budget on flowers".

She laughs "you never had a budget".

"True.....but that is what I really wanted, lots of gorgeous flowers and good food".

"Well I think you got it with a true Texas BBQ, the only thing different is the cake".

"I wanted that cake they serve at the Italian restaurant in NZ with the raspberry sauce and white chocolate, it is so good".

She nods "I know, it is my favorite too".

We sit and talk for a bit longer, enjoying a few moments of quiet before things get hectic.

KNOCK KNOCK

We look at each other and I get up and open the door "Rich, this is a surprise".

He comes in "well yeah, I need to borrow Tami for a bit.....".

Tami gets up "for what? We need to get started on hair and stuff".

"Just come with me, love and it is just 2pm, you still have lots of time".

I look at Tami "we have time, I might lay down for 30 min, jet lag is still kicking my butt".

"Ok, don't go anywhere, I will be back" and they go out the door.

Sighing I walk over to the bed and pull down the sheets and I lay down on Lee's side, catching the faint smell that is so him. I stretch and about to close my eyes when there is a tap on the sliding door by the patio. I look over and see Lee standing there, just wearing gym shorts and a tank top, sweating like crazy, his hair is all wet and plastered to his face. He grins at me as I get up to unlock the door. He doesn't waste any time, as soon as I flip the lock, he slides it open and pulls me into his arms and kisses me like he is drowning.

"Lee.." and it is hard to talk when someone is pushing their tongue into your mouth and ravishing you with their hands. I give in and kiss him back with the same passion until our lungs are bursting and we need to come up for air "what are you doing here? You are all sweaty and now I smell like a gym".

He looks at me with that beaten puppy, look that he knows I can't resist "don't be mad, but I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to come see you. So I went on my 3 mile run and just happened to stop by here" and he winks.

"Wont people wonder?".

"Nope, Richard has my ass covered for now"

"So you guys schemed to do this?".

"Well, I have been an asshole to everyone since yesterday, so Rich put me straight and told me to go".

We meet in another heated kiss before I pull away "no offense, but you stink Mr. Pace and now I do too".

He takes my hand and drags me in the bathroom "I have a fix for that" and he turns on the shower and quickly shreds his clothes. I stand and stare at him for a minute, we haven't really had time or energy to get naked lately. He is gorgeous and I take a deep breath as my eyes travels down his back and over his prefect ass. He turns around "are you going to watch or join me?".

I smirk and take my clothes off and it is his turn to stare and I feel wetness pool as I see how aroused he gets. I look at him "I can stand and watch while your jerk off in the shower".

Lee groans and yanks me in the shower with him, pushing me against the wall and growling in my ear "hell no...this is a team effort" and he lifts me up and I naturally wrap my legs around him.

I arch my back in pure pleasure and moan as his hard cock slides against my wet folds " I missed you, Lee and I missed this" and I do my best to rub myself against him.

His mouth is on mine "you have no idea...it was bad. I promise I will make sweet love to you tonight, but right now I am going to fuck you hard and fast".

I reach down and guide his swollen head to my entrance and he enters in one smooth motion as I bite his shoulder in pure pleasure "go for it, I want you just as bad" and claw his back as he starts to pound into me.

He is grunting with every thrust "fuck you feel good" and I squeeze my internal muscles around him and he lets me slide down a little, changing the angle. I get there quick, feeling my entire body curl up and then with the next thrust my body shutters as I contract around him in a powerful orgasm and moan his name "Lee".

I am sure I leave claw marks on his back as he speeds up, spurred on by my climax and he pounds into me a few more times and I feel his hot release as he growls "fuck I'm coming".

We are both completely out of breath and he holds me tight and lets out a puff of air in my ear "fuck, I needed that".

I smile into his neck "I think we both did" and he pulls away at little to look at me and we meet in a sweet kiss.

"I love you so much, Ann".

"I love you more" and I kiss him again. 

He slowly lowers me to the floor and I unwrap my legs, he gently lifts my chin "you ok? Was it too rough?".

Smiling up at him, I run my hands over his chest and stand on my toes to kiss him "no, it was great, best cure against nerves and stress if you ask me".

Lee laughs deep, the kinds that makes me tingle and he pulls me under the hot water with him "I agree".

We shower and I wash my hair again. Drying off, he has a hard time keeping his hands off me "stop it, Lee or we will never be ready". 

He nips on my shoulder as he cuddles me from behind "sorry, but I just can't help it".

We finally get semi dressed and he kisses me one last time before sneaking out the patio door "bye, babe....see you at the lake in a few hours".

I lean against the wall for a minute and then go in the closet to bring out my dress, I unzip the bag and put it on the hook by the closet. It is a gorgeous lace dress, very delicate and so very pretty. It has the most beautiful cap sleeves and tiny buttons all the way down the back, where it ends in a small train. The front is a sweetheart neckline that frames my face and for something borrowed, Tami is letting me use the lace edged veil she wore at her wedding. I knew the minute I put the dress on, that this was the one. I am wearing the embroidered cowboy boots Lee gave me for Christmas underneath it.

KNOCK KNOCK 

I turn "it's open".

Tami walks in "are you guys done humping each other?"

Trying not to look at her, I concentrate on the floor for a minute "what are you talking about?".

She comes over and smirks "give it up, Ann....I forced Rich to tell me why we had to leave".

I blush "ok fine...."

"Rich said Lee was just so worked up and being such a shit".

"Well, I think we took care of that".

She laughs "good" and she turns her attention to the dress "holy wow, Ann......that is so pretty".

"I know, I love it".

"Lets get going then" and we walk in the bathroom and she starts doing my hair, I am keeping it simple, just pulled back a little, but still down. She applies makeup, just very light and manages to do her own as well. "So you got the *something borrowed* with my veil and your pale blue underwear will go for *something blue* and the dress is *something new*, what about the *something old*?".

"I am not sure, my dad told me not to worry about it, so I hope he has something when he gets here".

"Are you ready for the dress?".

I walk back in the bedroom and pull it down "I think so" and I step in it and Tami goes to work, closing all the tiny buttons on the back "well, Lee will have fun with these tonight".

"I know, I wish it was done like yours, so it looked like they were all buttoned, but it was a zipper".

"Okay, done" and she steps away and looks at me "wow, that is a gorgeous dress and it is so you".

"Thanks" and I got over to pull my boots on and carefully sit down on a chair, so she can attach the veil in the back "Colin will bring my bouquet in a few with the flowers to attach back there".

KNOCK KNOCK

Tami yells "come in".

The door opens and Lee's mom and sister come in with the bouquet and flowers. His mom looks at me and tears up "you look stunning, Ann".

I hug her "thank you so much".

His sister smiles at me "that is an amazing dress".

"I know, your girlfriend did good when she pulled it".

I look at the bouquet made of soft pink roses, pink peonies, some smaller white flowers, greenery and a single stem of orchids hanging down. It is beautiful and just what I had wanted. Tami carefully pins the orchid and roses in the back of my hair by the veil "ok, now don't move too fast".

The photographer comes in and take a few pictures and we just visit for a few minutes.

................................................................................................................................................

A little bit earlier:

Lee comes back into his parents main house, everyone is hanging around the kitchen and look up when he enters. His brother looks at him "where the hell have you been? We were starting to worry".

He shrugs "I went for a long run and then showered in the barn".

"Fine, but you better get going, everyone else is ready".

Lee walks upstairs to the guest room above the garage and unzips his suit bag. There is a knock on the door "Lee, it's Rich".

He opens the door "hey man, come on in".

Rich looks at him "so feel better?".

Lee blushes slightly "yeah, thanks" and he takes off his shirt and turns his back to grab his white dress shirt.

Rich gasps "holy shit, you better feel better....you have a nice set of claw marks on your back".

"Awesome....well, at least nobody will see them, right?".

"I guess so. Are you ready?".

"Once I get this suit on, I think so. Thanks again for playing today and for helping me get clawed".

Richard slaps him on the shoulder "anytime, Lee and good luck, don't pass out".

"Oh I wont" and he leaves.

Lee buttons his dress shirt and then proceeds to put on his gray suit. He goes in the bathroom to comb his hair and take great care when he ties the pink tie, making sure the knot is straight. He pulls on his black cowboy boots and takes a deep breath before walking back down stairs. 

Most of his family is there along with Rich. His mom and sister come back from the guest house. His mom hugs him "you look very handsome".

"Thanks mom".

His sister looks at him and straighten his collar "wait until you see your bride, holy crap she looks gorgeous".

Lee smiles "I can't wait".

His dad comes over with the boutonniere and pins it on Lee's lapel, a single pink rose with some greenery "so happy for you, son".

"Thanks dad". 

His nephew is walking around with Carl on a leash and his sister switches out the collar, so the dog is now sporting a fancy flower one.

Lee looks at his sister "I sure hope Carl behaves".

"I think he will, we have practiced enough. Who's idea was it to have him carry the rings anyway?".

"Ann wanted him to be part of the day".

She smiles "well, he is your family member, Lee"

"I know".

My dad arrives with Suzanne and Lee hugs them warmly and my dad looks at him "have the note you want to give her?".

"Yeah, right here" and he reaches in and gives my dad a piece of paper.

"Thanks" and he puts it in the fancy bag he is carrying".

Looking at Lee again, they sort of make it over to the corner "Lee, I know you already know this, but I am just so happy for both of you. She has waited a long time for this day to come and I think, so have you". He pulls the two boxes out and opens them to show what is inside "this is how it turn out".

Lee looks at them "wow, hope she loves them".

"She will, I'm going to go give them to her right now" and he kisses Suzanne before heading to the guest house.

Lee comes back over and his brother looks at him "ready to go out?".

Another deep breath "yes, lets go" and they walk out to the lake, greeting people that have already taken a seat on either side of the aisle. There is a big sign as guest enters the seating area that reads "As two families become one today, please pick a seat, not a side", so people are mixed up, which is what we wanted.

.............................................................................................................................................

Around the same time:

Tami is messing with my hair and veil, making sure everything looks perfect and there is another knock and I can see it is my dad, wearing a grey suit "Come in, dad".

He steps in and takes one look and then reaches for his handkerchief as he hugs me "ohh honey, you look so beautiful".

I look at him and start to tear up "thanks, dad and don't start".

He hugs Tami "you look lovely" and she is wiping tears too.

He hands me the bag "the big box is for *something old*, your mother thought ahead when she knew she wouldn't be around for this day and designed this. I had it made and have kept it for all these years".

I open it and just start to cry "ohh dad" and I hug him again as he wipes some tears. Inside the box is a beautiful necklace with a gorgeous white south sea peal, it is set in a very antique looking necklace with diamonds on the bail holding the pearl. He puts it on me and I look in the mirror "wow, how did she know it would go with this dress?".

Tami pipes up "A mother always knows, remember" and she touches up my make up as well as her own.

He hands me the smaller box "this is from Lee, we collaborated on these and they will be the *something blue*". I read the scratchy note he gave my dad "Ann, I want you to have these so they will always remind you of the day you made me the happiest man on the planet, by becoming my wife! I love you more than you will ever know! Love Always, Lee". I open the box and take out the most beautiful earrings with pear shaped aquamarines, Lee's birthstone, set in milgrain and diamonds "they are beautiful, dad".

"Glad you like them, honey and glad I don't have to design anything else with Lee.......it was an adventure. He can have strong opinions".

We all laugh and I put them on and take one final look in the mirror "ready?".

He looks at me "I think so".

Tami peaks out the patio door and nods towards Colin Cowie, standing in the back, he gives her a thumbs up "ok, they are ready over there too".

My father reached for my arm "here we go, honey and I am just so happy you finally get your happily ever after".

"Me too".

We walk out the door, up the driveway, we are being shielded by the tall hedge that has grown, enclosing the back yard. The two darling nieces meet us at the entrance to the garden and they giggle and smile when I hug them "ready girls?" and they nod. Carl is there with Lee's nephew and he is excited, but manages to stay on all four feet. We hear the beautiful sound of the cello that starts to play and the girls begin walking, throwing flowers petals in front of them, Carl and the nephew follow and we enter the yard and I see all the guests for the first time, but my eyes are fixed on Lee, standing at the end of the aisle. I do notice the arch they had built and how beautiful it is, all covered in wild flowers.

He sees me come into view and takes a deep breath and his face splits into the biggest grin and he mouths to me "wow" as we walk closer. The girls are still throwing petals, but then the youngest looks up and realizes all the people watching her, she dumps the rest of the flowers and runs into her mom's arms. The entire party chuckles. The other niece makes it and go stand by Lee's brother and Carl sees Lee at the end of the aisle and bolts, causing the poor nephew to let go of the leash. Lee's brother springs into action and grabs Carl's collar and says something very stern to him, so Carl looks up at Lee with sad eyes and sits down between them. The nephew makes it and stands by his sister.

We get up there and I try not to cry as my dad kisses my cheek and transfer my hand to Lee's, whispering "take good care of her" and Lee hugs him "I will" and he goes and sits down next to Suzanne. Lee kisses my cheek "you look stunning, babe" and takes my arm as we walk the last few steps up to the Pace family's pastor. Tami is right behind me and she takes my bouquet as Lee and I face each other and hold hands.

The pastor is talking, but I don't think we hear a word of it. We are looking into each other's eyes and having our own private conversation. Lee can say so much with his eyes and he sure does as we stand there. i have never felt so loved in my life and i am overwhelmed by gratitude that we are finally here, making these sacred vows with each other in front of our family and friends.

The pastor looks at us "are you ready?"

We both nod and Lee smiles at me and rubs his thumbs over my hands.

I start to fight the tears as the pastor goes on "do you, Lee Grinner Pace take Lily Ann Simmons to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor and cherish her in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?". Lee smiles bigger and a single tear rolls down his cheek as he answers, his voice cracking with emotion "I do".

Looking at Lee, I hear the words spoken to me "do you, Lily Ann Simmons, take Lee Grinner Pace to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor and cherish him in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?". I grip his hands tighter and smile thru my tears "I do". 

Carl is brought up to stand by us, his nephew doing a good job holding the crazy canine, so we can retrieve the rings hanging from his collar.

We exchange rings, a wide band with milgrain edges for him in 18K white gold and a very elaborate band in white and rose gold for me with pink and white diamonds.

We look at the pastor as he speaks again "then by the power invested in my by the State of Texas, I declare you husband and wife! Lee, you may kiss your bride!".

Lee grins and leans down, gently taking my face in his hands and planting a soft kiss on my lips. Loud clapping and cheering erupts and we both smile and Lee comes back for a deeper kiss, slowly opening his mouth. I laugh and he just picks me up in his arms and swings me softly around, kissing me again, before putting me back down and he looks at the Pastor "sorry".

The Pastor laughs and turns to our guests "Dear family and friends, may I have the honor of presenting for the very first time :Mr. and Mrs. Lee Pace!".

Tami quickly hands me my bouquet and we walk down the aisle to more music from the cello, Lee having a firm grip on Carl's leash with one hand and intertwining his other hand with mine. Loud cheering follows us and I don't recall the last time I felt this happy.

We get to the end of the aisle and someone takes Carl from Lee, so we can walk in the garden for a quiet moment. Lee takes me in his arms and kisses me again and then gently wipes the tears from my face with his thumbs. He looks at me with so much love "you are finally mine".

"Yes, I am" and we kiss again. 

We walk back over and stand in a formal line with my dad and Lee's parents to properly greet our guests before dinner. Orlando is of course there with his beautiful wife, Miranda and his eyes are a little red as he hugs me "congratulations, so happy for you, Ann and you look stunning".

"Thanks, Leggy".

He hugs Lee "So happy for you, man! Congrats!".

Richard and Tami come up and I hug her so tight "thank you for being there for me always and for sharing this with me".

"I would not have missed it for the world".

I hug Richard "Thank you for playing, it was beautiful and for your friendship".

"So happy for you both".

As soon as everyone has been thru the line, we all make our way in to the giant tent that has been set up. Inside it looks like a spring garden, lots of wild flowers decorating the tables and a big buffet table overflowing with true Texas BBQ. 

We stand up and Lee takes the mic "we would like to welcome you all and thank you so much for sharing this special day with us" and he hands me the mic "yes, thank you, we are so honored to have you here and now please go stuff yourselves!". We enjoy a great wedding dinner with the ones we love.

After dinner we cut the cake and the music starts, encouraging everyone to get up and dance. We walk around and visit with everyone, deeply grateful we have such great family and friends. Lee has agreed to do the first dance, hoping that is the only dance he will have to do. My dad all of a sudden takes the mic "this is one of the happiest days of my life! I love you so much, Ann and Lee, I am thrilled you are my new son in law. You guys don't really need anything, so my gift to you is a small charitable donation to Garth Brooks' Teammates for Kids Foundation and in return he agreed to come sing for your first dance. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce Mr. Garth Brooks singing the Dance".

I am floored since I love Garth and "the Dance" means so much to me on so many levels. Garth comes out and smiles "Congratulations guys!" and he sits down with his guitar and starts to play and Lee takes my hand and we spent a few very magical minutes on the dance floor, just the two of us and that very special song.

When the song ends, Lee gathers me in his arms and kisses me. We got over to thank Garth for this special gift and he leaves since he has a gig in New York tomorrow. I hug my dad "I think that was more than just a small donation you made, dad".

He shrugs "maybe".

We spent the rest of the evening chatting, dancing and visiting with everyone. Lee doesn't get out of dancing after all, he has to take turns with his mom, sister, nieces and Tami. Richard is a bloody show off and I laugh as he swings me around on the dance floor. I share a dance with Lee's brother, brother in law and his dad.

I am finally dancing with my dad and look at him "thanks so much, dad, for everything".

"You are so welcome, honey. Sure wish mom could have been here to see you today".

"I know, but I want you to know I am very happy you have found Suzanne, you guys seem so happy".

"We are, she is a good lady".

"Yes, she is. You are still planning on taking my bouquet to mom's grave tomorrow, right? It is carefully put in a small cooler, ready for you to take".

"Of course, we are flying back in the morning and will go straight to the cemetery".

"Thank you, dad".

The party is slowly wrapping up, a few guests are bidding goodbye and we remind them to please take their thank you gift on the way out. We did splurge here, as we hired the glass blower that made the beautiful glass bottles for Thranduil's wine cellar in the movie, to make us some bottles and then filled them with wine from California. A token to how we met and where I was raised. We had labels made with our wedding date on them and a tag with a picture from when Lee proposed, dressed as Thranduil with a note on the back "Thank you so much for making this day so special by being our guest! Much Love, Ann&Lee".

I go up to help myself to another piece of cake and Lee sneaks up behind me and whispers in my ear "how about getting that to go? We will see most everyone tomorrow morning for brunch" and he takes my hand and we quietly slip out of the tent and walk hand in hand back to the guest house. I am carrying a plate with a honking piece of cake.

Lee opens the door and takes the plate from me and holds his hand up "wait, babe" and he sets it down somewhere inside and comes back out "I need to carry you over the threshold".

"Seriously, Lee".

"Yes, it is tradition and brings good luck I am told" and he scoops me up and carefully carries me in the house and sets me down "see that wasn't bad".

I kiss him "no and it was very sweet". I kick off my boots "oh, I can't wait to get out of this dress".

Lee takes off his suit coat and throws it over a chair and takes his boots off "I know, I can't wait either" and he wiggle his eyebrow.

"Of course you can't" and I go in the bathroom to carefully take out the flowers and remove my earrings and the necklace, putting them back in the boxes they came in. My engagement ring is sitting in a box there too, I removed it before the ceremony, knowing I would get the wedding band. I walk back in the bedroom and Lee has unbuttoned his shirt and shed his pants. He is currently just wearing his boxer briefs and the open dress shirt, the pink tie is undone and hanging loosely around his neck. I grab the tie from him and drape it over his suit coat "you are going to have to help me take the veil off and be careful, it is Tami's and it is pinned in there pretty good".

He comes over and stands behind me and starts to remove the pins, putting them on the dresser. He finally gets them all and I gently take the veil off, hanging in back up on the special hanger in the closet. I come back out and he looks at me "you are very overdressed, babe".

"I know and I am going to need help getting out of this dress too and please don't rip anything, it was not cheap".

He rolls his eyes "I know, my sister called and told me you got a dress and I about fainted when she told me how much it cost".

"You only get married once" and I turn my back to him "now carefully undo all those".

Lee groans "you are kidding me, right?".

"No I'm afraid not, so get to work Mr. Pace if you want to get lucky tonight".

"You know how to motivate me" and he starts to fumble with all the buttons and mumbles under his breath "well, this would be effective birth control". 

I giggle "shut up and just get me out of the dress. He gets most of them undone and gets a peak of the lacey light blue bra I am wearing and he can't help but trace one bra strap and he leans down and kisses my shoulder.

"Now this will really motivate me, does the panties match?".

I turn my head and smirk at him "only one way to find out" and he moves a little faster, but it is hard with those giant fingers of his. He finally gets them all undone and I can step out of the dress and he reaches out and touches my rear, but I swat his hand away "patience....I need to at least hang this up" and I get the hanger and put the dress on it and then carefully place it in the closet.

Walking back out, I find Lee sitting on the edge of the bed and he smiles big when he sees me "they do match".

Walking over to his open arms, I stand between his legs and we meet in a sweet kiss that slowly turns into something deeper, slowly opening our mouths to each other and letting our hands roam. We finally surface for air and I smile at him "yeah, like you even care".

He pretends he is offended "I do care" and then smirks "at least for a minute or two" and he unclasps my bra and tosses it somewhere. He looks appreciative at my breasts and dips his head down, licking my nipples and letting his hands caress each orb with tenderness.I am running my hands over his chest and over his biceps and kiss his neck and move up to his ear, knowing he loves when I kiss and lick it. 

I climb up on his lap and he puts his legs together, so I can sit on his thighs and we meet in another heated kiss and he slides his hands down my back and grabs my butt, pulling me closer and rubbing his bulging erection against my core. I arch my back and he takes advantage of my chest almost poking him in the face and latches on to one nipple, knowing it drives me wild. I am humping him and hold on to his shoulders for some stability.

He lets go of my breast after one final swivel with his tongue and then attacks my mouth with the same force and holding on to my butt as I grind my hips against him. We come up for air and I look at him "scoot up so we can get that damn underwear off you".

"Yes ma'm" and I take my weight off of him for a second, so he can slide up on the bed. I lean over and kiss him again, trailing my wet tongue over his mouth and down his neck. 

His hands are busy and fondle my breasts as they hang right above his chest for a minute, before I move down, placing kisses over his broad chest, making sure to swirl my tongue around each of his nipples. He runs his fingers thru my hair before I keep moving south, licking his abs and seeing him tighten those muscles in anticipation as I grab his boxer briefs and slide them down his legs, lifting them over his erection and he lifts his legs so I can get them all the way off.

He hooks a finger under my lace panties and I quickly take them off.

Lee is sprawled out beneath me and finally totally naked and that is a glorious sight to behold. He cock is rock hard and I can't help but lower my head and lick the very tip, making him moan as he grabs the back of my head " Ohh Ann, please". 

I look up at him and he looks at me as I take him in my mouth, sucking on as much of him as I can and then sliding my mouth back up, tracing the ridge underneath and around his swollen head before dipping my tongue in the slit, tasting his precum. When I do that, he throws his head back and squeezes his eyes shut "ohh fuck". I repeat the motion of taking him all the way in and sliding up and down and I can tell he is fighting really hard not to buck his hips. I gently roll his balls in my other hand before sliding that one up and wrapping it around his base, moving it in rhythm with my mouth. He is moaning mess, but manages to croak out between curses and moans "babe, you gotta stop or I am going to come".

Reluctantly I move my mouth off him and he lets go of my head and opens his eyes, his chest heaving up and down. He looks down at me, but before he can do or say anything else, I have quickly straddled him and I impale myself on his big cock, which makes him go wide eyed for a second before his eyes roll back in his head. He grabs my hips firmly and he lets out a groan of pure pleasure "ohh god, you are wet".

I put my hands on his chest and start to move up and down, throwing my head back and moaning his name "ohh Lee, this feels so good".

He breathing is ragged "fuck, I know, babe".

Leaning forward, I brush a strand of hair from his face and kiss him again. He moves his hands to my butt as I slow down a bit, starting to clench my internal muscles and looking for the right friction. I adjust the angle and soon feel the very familiar built up. I keep moving and speed up as orgasm approaches and when it does, I cry out in utter bliss as I convulse around him "Ohhh". I keep moving, riding it out and then he quickly sits up and I wrap my legs behind him. 

We meet in a tender kiss and he looks at me "you are so beautiful when you come like that".

I put my arms around him and I love to have sex with him like this, chest to chest, it feels so close and intimate. I kiss him again, it is slow and deep and I smile when we break "I love to come riding you".

Lee kisses me again and slides his hands down my back and takes a firm grip on my rear as he starts to move. I move in rhythm with him and I love the feel of him sliding in and out of me. He is panting and I kiss him hard, pushing my tongue into his mouth. I feel him go even harder and know he is nearing climax and he thrusts a couple more times before slamming me down hard and holding me firmly to him, as he comes with a growl "ohhh fuck", spilling his hot seed deep inside of me.

We just hug and hold each other tight, slowly coming back to earth and letting our breathing even out. My head is buried in his neck and he nuzzles my ear, which makes me smile since it tickles. He lifts my chin and we share a deep and tender kiss.

We look in each others eyes and he cups my face with his hand "I love you so much, Ann. This was a perfect ending to an incredible day".

"I love you more, Lee!".

We stay like this for a bit longer, just enjoying this moment and we finally find the strength to untangle ourselves. He gets out of bed and walks naked to the fridge, bringing back a bottle of champagne and the plate with the big piece of wedding cake "how about a drink to celebrate and some cake?". Setting the plate down on the bed, he goes over and gets two champagne flutes from the cupboard and a fork. Carefully uncorking the champagne, he pours some in the glasses as I hold them out and then grabs one and sits down next to me on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

We look at each other and I smile "this is great, Lee! Do you realize this is what we shared on our first date too?".

He leans over and kisses me "yeah I do" and we drink champagne and feed each other wedding cake, naked in bed.

We finish the cake and just sit there for a while, holding hands and then agree to get ready for bed. Crawling back in bed naked, we snuggle up to each other, I look at Lee and touches his face "I love you".

He kisses me gently "I love you more".

I roll on my side and Lee spoons me from behind, his arm draping over me and holding my hand. We drift off to sleep, content to finally be husband and wife.

 

EPILOGUE

I am standing in a very old church in England, holding a precious 3 month old baby in my arms. She is currently sleeping and looks like a little princess, all dressed in a family heirloom of a christening gown. She is so adorable and I remember when her parents proudly texted us that she had arrived. Tami looked tired, but so happy and Richard's eyes were red from crying with joy. Emma Rose Armitage was born in New Zealand and today she will be christened after her parents renew their wows in Richard's hometown. Lee and I will serve as her godparents. 

Tami is standing in front of me, wearing her beautiful gown and her dad is holding her hand, waiting to walk her down the aisle. She turns to me and I smile "she is fine".

The doors open, the music starts and we all make our way down the aisle. I watch Richard's eyes light up as he sees his bride and the tender love for his precious child is evident as we get to the alter and I stand to the side with Emma as her parents recite their vows.

My eyes fall on Lee, sitting on the front pew, holding a sleeping child in his arms. He looks back at me and smiles and then looks at his son, gently letting his hand touch the dark hair of top of his chubby face. Brandon L. Pace was born by c-section 9 months and 1 day after we were married, weighing a hefty 9 lbs. 6 oz. and I will never forget the look on Lee's face when they first placed his son in his arms. It was awe, joy and so much love.

Emma is christened and handed to her parents so they can all walk down the aisle as a family.

I walk over to Lee and Brandon reaches up for me and I hold him in my arms for a minute and Lee kisses the top of my head. It is our turn to walk out of the church, so I put Brandon down and he takes his dad's hand and Lee reaches for my hand with the other and we walk out. 

We stop when we get out in the sunshine and Lee leans down and kisses me and locks eyes with me for a moment. We are silently communicating, grateful that a chance meeting on the other side of the world changed our lives forever.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU so much for reading and for all your kind comments and kudos!!! It means so much to me!  
> I might write more Lee fics in the future, who knows.....
> 
> If you do like this kind of story, I posted the first chapter of "Spy Games" with Richard Armitage, if you are interested.


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